


I can show you love: As soon as I stop hating you

by LozisLaw



Category: Adventure Time
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Boarding School, Dorms, Elections, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fights, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers to Enemies to Lovers, Hate Sex, Lesbian Sex, Love/Hate, Mutual Pining, Private School, Romantic Fluff, Songs, Student Council, Teenagers, The Veronicas - Freeform, Underdogs, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:46:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 28,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22328065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LozisLaw/pseuds/LozisLaw
Summary: Marceline’s new experience with a ritzy private high school becomes interesting when a pretty schoolgirl named Bonnibel befriends her. The two don’t usually see eye to eye and boy does it get rowdy on the playground, but at the end of the day, Marceline can’t help wanting the same desire that always bring the two back together.
Relationships: Princess Bubblegum/Marceline
Comments: 51
Kudos: 147





	1. Chapter 1

What absolute bull gunk! Marceline has had to endure his father’s escapades before, but this is crossing the line. Not only was it against every one of her self-made rules in life to conform to others, but now she had to dress like these perfect little fairies too, and even dorm with them! 

Her dad recently held the idea that maybe going to a private school tucked away on top of a wealthy mountain with other rich girls, Marceline would start to understand the importance of maintaining the family business after he retired, to make him proud or something. It’s as though he wasn’t proud enough already, sure she’d gotten into a little trouble over her early teenage years, but her grades were still good, and her success as a lyricist and musician had surpassed other people’s expectations, but apparently not his. 

If he was proud of Marceline, he wouldn’t feel the need to ship his daughter off to a fancy private school to complete her education, because grades weren’t enough apparently, she had to be elegant and picture perfect too. 

Sure, her appearance was a bit rough around the edges, her long black hair cascaded past her hips in trendy messiness, her clothes were considered ‘punk rock’, though that description was lame. She acted sometimes too boyish and reckless for his liking, but that didn’t mean she was an embarrassment to him, surely. In her heart she still wanted him to be proud of her, but for herself, not the fake charade she would be forced to adopt in order to graduate like all the others. She could only imagine what these good little girls were like. Marceline very well expected to not get along with these girls, and really look out of place, even though she’d be forced to wear the same bland grey uniform. At least the colour was like her own style, though she would rather die than wear short plaid skirts. Unfortunately, that was a part of the uniform too, so she’d have to put up with them too, if she wanted her daddy to be proud of her. The only reason she didn’t run away from home when he broke the news that she’d be changing schools, was because deep down, she still wanted his approval, bad. That doesn’t mean she’s going to conform to this school, a prissy name like ‘Oooian Heights Girls College’, and abandon her morals in a flash. In fact, she will very well show these people who exactly she is, and they cannot change her, no matter how hard they try. That makes a decent lyric, she’ll have to remember to sing it when she gets there.

The morning of opening day, Marceline stomped down into the kitchen of her dad’s fancy mansion. She really didn’t care for all the flash, but her dad was the successful CEO of Nightosphere INC, the biggest gaming company in the biz, and he wanted people to know how wealthy and successful he was. He really was evil, as far as corrupt businessmen go, and his favourite jingle he made up was ‘Stompin’ on ants, sucking their souls, stompin’ on ants, soul, soul, soul’. It was something to do with how his videogaming machines turned people’s brains into mush and sucked them of their souls when they played them more than having a life. One of his marketing ploys. Marceline knew he was evil and dirty in his business, but she didn’t let others make fun at his expense anyway, because she still loved him, no matter how much they fought and disagreed. That didn’t mean though she wanted to take over this company and inherit his evil nature, no matter how much people called her evil, she refused to believe it.

Marceline was currently in the school’s uniform, a prim grey buttoned shirt with black tie, short plaid skirt and the required long white socks with horrible, horrible black Mary janes. She was seriously embarrassed by how different she looked to her usual ripped and baggy attire, but at least her hair could be kept the same. She just left it untamed and dangling past her hips, hopeful that it gave off a different vibe than her prissy uniform did. She was certainly loosening the tie when her father was out of view. Hunson Abadeer, her dad, was currently in the kitchen scouting the large double fridge for food and pulled out a sandwich. He could be counted on to have a done-up business suit every day of the week, so right now a stained white singlet and striped pyjama shorts was certainly a shocking sight for Marceline. Hunson stopped in his tracks to the table and stared at Marceline who’d appeared in the room, awkwardly toying with her tie, trying to adjust the damn thing so it wasn’t choking her. Though right now she’d probably prefer choking to being exposed to his intimidating gaze. Hunson broke into a beam, opening his arms up in a hugging fashion at Marceline.

‘’Marci, you look so good. I’m so proud of you. You’re going to love it at this new school. Private, to not attract undesirable characters trying to tempt you with bad things, like that Ash boy,’’ Abadeer said. Marceline groaned and crossed her arms self-consciously. Her ex-boyfriend Ash was probably the one thing she regretted the most about her life. The dillweed was a user, and to pay for his growing expenses he went and stole Marceline’s childhood teddy bear that Simon gave her when she was young and sold it for drug money. That teddy bear was her most prized possession, her coping mechanism from when her father had lots of business trips and she was all alone. Her mother had died years before, and her best friend Simon was in many ways her parent. She’s still pretty dependant on him at times.

‘’Dad stop going on about Ash. It was a mistake; it won’t happen again. I didn’t choose to go to this school, you picked it out. What about my friends? What about Simon?’’ Marceline complained.

‘’Actually, as a favour, I got Simon Petrikov transferred to Oooian Heights as a professor, so you won’t be completely alone in a new school, though I hope for you to make some friends anyway,’’ Hunsen said, smiling when he saw how much Marceline’s face brightened at the news.

‘’Really? Oh, my glob, thank you daddy! That’s seriously the best news I’ve heard in forever!’’ Marceline said, basically jumping where she stood as she gave her dad a hug. Maybe this school wouldn’t be so bad if she had Simon with her, helping her out? Maybe he’d even be one of her professors? The guy was old, having a long grey beard and hair with small round glasses, but he’d been one of the only people she could count on from a very young age, and now she saw him as a surrogate parent. She would tolerate her father’s doting for now at that good news, and she planned to find Simon as soon as she was in the gates of the school.

Everything was in place for her to travel up to the school. It was a boarding school, but since they lived relatively close, Marceline could come home on weekends. Her luggage was overflowing as her dad’s employees loaded it into their fancy black car, ready for them to drive to the college. Marceline made sure to bring as much from her old life as she could, so she wouldn’t become brainwashed and forget who she is. She desperately wished she had Hambo, right now she felt like curling into her teddy bear and hiding her face into it like a sniffling child on their first day of kindergarten. It basically was kindergarten for her, because she’d be taught very differently than what she used to, and it would be a shocking change from the comforting home life and school she’d grown to love. When she got to the school, she’d have to put on a front that she was confident and didn’t need any of them. Hypocritical, she knew, because she’d immediately go and find Simon to help her settle into the new digs, god forbid she brave it herself like everyone else.

When her things were packed in, she got into the extravagant car, for her it was normal, but she didn’t care for wealth so didn’t act as impressed with herself as some people expected her to. Her father joined her in the backseat, having a chauffeur driving the car. Marceline felt embarrassed about that until she realised that this school bred princesses who famed themselves on wealth and flashy things. Barf.

The trip was longer than her old school, but was closer to home than Marceline expected, so she felt good that it wouldn’t be too drastic to escape the place if it became too much and just go home. They arrived up the huge lavish driveway, leading up a path on the hill the school sat upon. The school itself was massive and grand. The multiple levels of the old-fashioned building with ivy twisting up the faded white bricks was quite pretty, but it only screamed in Marceline’s mind of the charade it represented and the horrors awaiting her inside. Right now, she was feeling hurt that her father sent her away here, to turn her into a prim little daisy he could parade around his colleagues at work parties. She sat glumly in her seat, prolonging getting out of the car to face this nightmare. Usually nightmares were cool, but this might be the first one she didn’t like, that she feared.

Her dad piped in, ‘’I know this school will be different for you, but just try to see what it’s like before you rush into hating it. You might even make some nice news friends, but even so, you’ll have Simon there to keep you company.’’

Not even the mention of Simon being here lifted her spirits, and she continued to sit in the car, until Hunsen basically threatened to shove her out. Yeah, he was also physical with her at times, but Marceline always fought back, and sometimes won. She knew it would be incredibly embarrassing to fight her dad the first day in front of everyone, so she sucked in her pride, and her self-consciousness and stepped out into the front of the school.

As soon as she stepped out into the car, she felt eyes on her. She was shocked that they were already so nosy and judgy of her, and she literally just got here. She knew it was her wavy long hair, and her pale skin making her stand out, because at a glance of the other girls, they were all done up like ponies, curled and straightened hairdos with pretty little bows, some even wearing make-up, and they had tanner, rosier skin. Marceline wanted to barf, but instead she smirked, and her confidence surged. She realised that she’d been worried that they’d judge her, but she didn’t consider the fact that she was judging them, a lot, and if anything, they should be feeling worried of what she’d think of them. 

Marceline sauntered through the front gates, fully aware that her luggage was being handled by her dad’s workers, and she was free to peruse the scene. Her first thought was to find the library, because if she knew anything about Simon, it was that he always hung out in the library, especially on the first day where girls would be scrambling around trying to set up their beauty stations in their rooms. Marceline didn’t bother, she’d only need a bed for sleeping, she didn’t fuss about make-up like some of these other girls appeared to, and her time in this prison would be spent visiting Simon, writing songs, and playing guitar.

It didn’t take her long to find the library, and she couldn’t help grinning mischievously at every girl who straight up gasped when they saw her, probably astounded that someone so ‘rough’ was even allowed in this prestigious private college. If only they knew, this was just the beginning. Her worry that she’d turn into these bimbos had completely left her, and she felt more and more comfortable that her natural personality was shining through, though it was probably blearing through in the other’s girls opinions. Like Marceline cared though.

She opened the ancient doors leading into the building housing the library, and immediately headed for the front desks, hopefully to find Simon at the front to save her having to look around the room for him, or god forbid ask someone where he was. She cursed when he wasn’t at the front, so she wandered through the aisles of books to find him. She walked through the history section scanning the books contents from the outside as clues to the areas she’d find him in. Simon was a professor in archaeology and had a fascination for ancient artefacts, so she knew she had to find books with that content in order to find him. She found the section about these things and huffed in annoyance when someone was already there, browsing through the shelf. Now she’d have to get past them, and that meant talking to one of these fakers aspiring to be some rich guys trophy bride. 

Marceline sauntered up to this girl and stopped short when the girl turned around to look at her. Marceline’s heart faltered and stood there staring at her with her mouth parted and eyes wide. 

The girl had wavy candy pink hair flowing down to her waist, pale pink skin, and an angelic face smiling sweetly at Marceline. Marceline blushed when she looked down for a split second to glimpse down this girl’s body. She was small and curvy, and she sported the ridiculous plaid skirt better than anyone Marceline had seen in this school. 

‘’Hello, are you new here?’’ The beautiful pink girl politely asked, and Marceline felt dizzy, and found herself annoyed that she’d been compromised by this girl, who already screamed ‘princess’, and Marceline was supposed to despise this, and she was annoyed with herself that she didn’t. 

‘’Uh, yeah. Marceline,’’ Marceline nodded casually in introduction, folding her arms over herself, suddenly self-conscious again. 

‘’That’s a nice name. My name is Bonnibel Bubblegum, welcome to our school,’’ Bonnibel smiled sweetly and waved.

‘’Bubblegum huh? That makes sense, you look like a giant pink gumdrop. Cute name though- Bonnie,’’ Marceline said, and Bonnibel blushed, making her pink cheeks even pinker. Marceline was relieved that some of her confidence was coming back, because she is currently embarrassing herself in front of this angel.

‘’Oh- thanks. I don’t really go by Bonnie, but you can call me that if you’d like. I usually go by PB, because Bonnibel doesn’t really roll off the tongue,’’ Bonnie said. Marceline was finding herself more inclined to keep talking to this girl, but she dubbed it curiosity.

‘’What’s PB stand for? Bonnie Bubblegum is BB,’’ Marceline asked.

‘’Oh, Princess Bubblegum,’’ Bonnie said, shrugging. Marceline heard this, and when she looked in disbelief at Bonnie and saw she was serious, she started laughing uncontrollably. Bonnie scowled and crossed her arms.

‘’What’s so funny?’’ Bonnie asked, annoyance creeping into her poised tone. When Marceline finally caught her breath, she held her hand up at Bonnie to pause, gasping in. ‘’Okay, so you’re telling me part of your name is princess, or that’s what you call yourself?’’ Marceline asked, stifling her laughter as she doubled down, looking up at the annoyed girl.

‘’It’s a part of my name because that is my title. I am a princess,’’ Bonnie said, hands in her hips as she looked at Marceline, annoyance bleeding into her sweet face.

‘’Oh, forgive me your majesty. I guess you can also call me Marceline the vampire queen,’’ Marceline snickered, curtsying.

‘’I’m serious, you shouldn’t joke about royalty,’’ Bonnie said primly.

‘’I’m serious too. You see the ears?’’ Marceline asked, brushing her hair behind her long, pointed vampire ear. Bonnie peered in to study her ears, and Marceline felt a thrill that she was so close.

‘’So, you’re a vampire, but are you really a queen?’’ Bonnie asked, curious. Marceline shrugged.

‘’More or less. You think I got into this place on a whim?’’ Marceline asked.

‘’I didn’t want to assume, I saw some of the other girls judging you when you arrived, and it seemed unfair, because they didn’t know you and who you were,’’ Bonnie said. 

''Well,'' Marceline was surprised Bonnibel didn’t do the same as the others here, and she felt grateful. Then shrugged it off.

‘’It’s not really about who your parents are and how much money they have to able to afford this place, I believe it’s about yourself as a character,’’ Bonnie continued.

‘’My dad basically forced me to come here, because of doing the wrong thing at my old school or some jazz. He’s Hunsen Abadeer, so he could kind of get me in to this fancy place no matter what lack of a princess or queen I am, unlike all of you,’’ Marceline said. Bonnie frowned.

‘’I don’t think you should group us all in like that, it’s as unfair as those girls judging new arrivals. Oh yeah, I was going to ask if you wanted me to show you around the place and where things are,’’ Bonnie said. Marceline was tempted to say yes to be able to talk to the cute girl some more, but she remembered her original task.

‘’Nice offer peebles, but I actually came in here looking for someone,’’ Marceline said. Bonnie perked up.

‘’Oh really? Who are you looking for? I could help you find them; I know my way around this place well,’’ She offered, smiling sweetly again.

‘’Simon Petrikov,’’ Marceline said, and she didn’t miss the visible crease in Bonnie’s features when she said the name. Marceline frowned in defence of Simon.

‘’That new librarian guy, with the long white beard and glasses? I’d avoid him if I were you, he’s really weird,’’ Bonnibel said.

‘’Hey! Simon is a good person, don’t judge him!’’ Marceline yelled, and Bonnie blanched, then scowled at Marceline.

‘’He’s a creep and talks to himself all the time,’’ Bonnie retorted.

‘’He’s got problems, but literally everyone does, so stop being so harsh. He’s had a hard life, and basically raising me on top of dealing with his own stuff is enough warrant to talk to himself. Like you’re so perfect anyway, maybe don’t flaunt your royalty at everyone if you don’t want them laughing in your face,’’ Marceline argued. 

Bonnie scoffed, and walked away, not before adding, ‘’Maybe I’ll see you around, hopefully you won’t act like so much of a wienus and I won’t have to treat you like one.’’

‘’Ugh, whatever,’’ Marceline threw her hands up, scoffing to herself. She’s blown it already. But she couldn’t just sit there and listen to this girl diss Simon, no matter how hot she is. Marceline walked through the aisles, distracting herself with searching for Simon, but she couldn’t stop thinking about Bonnie. Just as she thought she’d give up and write a song or something about gum, she felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned to face Simon grinning at her.

‘’Simon!’’ Marceline shouted, pulling him close in a bear hug.

‘’Marceline, how’ve you been? I got a side job as a part-time librarian while I’m not tutoring history. It’s a pretty neat place we’ve got ourselves living in right now. A step up from abandoned sheds eh?’’ Simon nudged Marceline, winking. Marceline laughed.

‘’Maybe for you, I’ve got to put up with these pretentious girls for the rest of the year, or whenever I can escape this place,’’ Marceline groaned.

‘’You met that pink girl yet? She’s in here a lot, she doesn’t like me. Not many of them do. She’s extremely smart though, saw her reading up on theoretical physics, writing up a report and everything,’’ Simon said.

‘’So, she’s a nerd. Good to know, I’ll remember for next time,’’ Marceline said, still angry with her.

‘’So, have you looked around the place yet, you need help finding things?’’ Simon asked, and Marceline smiled, because even after all these years, Simon was still protective of her. ‘’Nah, I’m good. I’ll just wander around, maybe meet some other gorgeous hypocrites to yell at,’’ Marceline said, full knowing Simon would miss that comment. Simon looked confused for a moment, then shrugged and continued. They talked for a while, or until a bell rang, startling Marceline, until Simon explained that the opening day had a presentation in the afternoon, and she was expected to attend. 

‘’Ugh, so I’m guessing that I can’t ditch and hang out with you?’’ Marceline assumed, looking at Simon hopefully, who shook his head.

‘’I’m gonna stay around here and clean. I can’t have rich parents complaining their kids are getting asthma from books going undusted,’’ 

Simon drabbled on, and Marceline said her goodbyes, and found her way out into the main halls, where she followed a large crowd moving towards what she assumed was the gymnasium or something. No, it was a theatre, of course- these people are rich and dump their haughty princess daughters in here, only the best for them. She found herself crowded in with a group of new arrivals, and yawned, already itching to get her guitar and strum out these conflicted feelings she’s having.


	2. Chapter 2

Bonnibel was flustered, which was rare for her, given her expectations for perfection, and agitation didn’t fit into that regime. She had been blindsided when she first saw Marceline, with her different style of dress and attitude. Marceline was shockingly gorgeous, having wild black locks obscuring her mysterious, yet vulnerable face. She had the most hypnotizing red eyes, which the colour itself was shocking, though when she revealed to be a vampire it made more sense, including her sharp fangs. Marceline had been very different to what Bonnie was used to around here. And it intrigued her more than it should have.

Her whole life, the people around her were like sheep, following and copying each other, adopting the same styles and opinions. She was bored by it all, and this school, but Marceline suddenly shows up and she is different from anyone she’s ever met. Her conversations weren’t trying to flatter Bonnie’s title and wealth, instead argue her opinions, finally. She hasn’t had a good debate for years. Bonnie was shocked when Marceline said she knew Simon, who she just didn’t feel comfortable around, like he was going insane and could kidnap her if she let her guard down. Marceline seemed unconcerned, and when Bonnie peeked on her conversation with him, they seemed to know each other well, which made sense if he basically raised her as she mentioned. Bonnie could probably give him a chance, if Marceline trusted him, and for some reason Bonnie had faith that Marceline knew what she was talking about. Bonnie couldn’t get over how striking she was, and it irritatingly consumed her busy mind.

A bell rang from the entrance of the library where Bonnie was standing, and she nearly hyperventilated when she realised, she would need to make a speech on behalf of the school this morning for the induction ceremony. The principal specially asked for her to present a speech to welcome the new inductees, on account of her extra credit work with the student council, as the student body president. She was late, and that never, ever happened. She darted down to the halls where everyone was buzzing around, trying to find seats and organise themselves into order. Bonnie quickly hurried up to the stage, grabbing the speech she prepared from her backpack and clutching it tight as she approached the principal waiting for order up on stage.

‘’Bonnibel, thank goodness you’re here. I was worried you’d be late and stain your perfect track record,’’ the principal said, a hint threateningly, leading Bonnie up beside her on stage.

‘’Sorry Ms Crabtree. I have the speech all prepared,’’ Bonnie said, ignoring it, and Ms Crabtree nodded, and turned to the mic.

Bonnie wasn’t afraid of public speaking, she lived for talking to a crowd, but she faltered when she looked out into the audience and immediately spotted Marceline, sticking out like a sore thumb. Marceline looked unconcerned with this whole thing, like school didn’t even matter!

Bonnie stood dutifully by the principal’s side as she gave the opening address, preparing herself for her time to speak, which was approaching in seconds. Bonnie glanced out to the audience again, more specifically to Marceline, and caught her staring back, smirking. That flustered Bonnie more than anything, and suddenly she wasn’t so sure she was ready. No- she was, she was a super Amadeus with public speaking, one girl couldn’t jack that up. 

The principal announced Bonnie to take the stage and give an opening speech, and Bonnie strut to the podium, feeling confident. She didn’t dare looking at Marceline just then again.

‘’Welcome, I’m Bonnibel Bubblegum, and your student body president. As many new students enter this prestigious school, I’m proud to be in, I wish to impart some words of wisdom to those new girls here who may have trouble fitting in. New schools can be scary, they can be challenging, but you are never alone to pursue your dreams of the future. Just know you have many friends in the world, willing to help you if you give them a chance…’’ Bonnie was looking at Marceline now, she couldn’t break from her eyes, but kept talking. It felt like she was only addressing Marceline now, everyone irrelevant. Bonnie could see from that far, but Marceline looked stumped, maybe blushing.

‘’I hope the new students of this school can trust that me and the members of the student council are always on hand to help you out, whether it be making friends or helping with homework. You will not be alone, and hopefully you can be as proud of this school as I am right now. So, let’s welcome this great new year with a big cheer,’’ Bonnie smiled out to the crowd, who cheered and clapped. Bonnie peeked once more at Marceline, to find her boredly clapping, not paying attention. The action made Bonnie’s cheeks flush, for some reason. She stepped away from the podium and walked away from the stage, her job this ceremony completed. Bonnie stuck around for most of the assembly, then ducked out when Ms Crabtree started assigning bunks and rooms for the new students. Bonnie wasn’t all that interested to listen to that boring stuff, she had some studying she’d prefer to do anyway. 

Bonnie walked outside the building, and started towards her dorm room, where she had her study gear, but she paused when she caught an unmistakable flash of black hanging around the side of the block. Bonnie turned and saw Marceline leaning against the side of the building, smirking at her. Bonnie walked over to her and huffed.

‘’What are you doing here? The new students are supposed to be assigned dorm rooms right now,’’ Bonnie said. Marceline shrugged.

‘’Eh, I’ll find out where they put me later. I liked your speech peebs, by the way,’’ Marceline said, poking Bonnie in the arm. Bonnie blushed.

‘’Well, thanks. You really should be inside still though. You don’t want to get in trouble on your first day,’’ Bonnie pointed out. Marceline laughed.

‘’I don’t care, used to do way worse things than skipping assembly. Just you wait and see Bonnie,’’ Marceline said.

‘’I’d rather not,’’ Bonnie muttered, looking back at the entrance doors for people to come streaming out. It was still empty.

‘’I didn’t know you are student body president, why didn’t you tell me?’’ Marceline asked.

‘’Well it wasn’t very relevant when we met. And I doubt bringing it up after calling me a stuck-up princess would’ve helped my case,’’ Bonnie said.

‘’You know I didn’t mean it right? I’m sure you’re not stuck-up, but surely you see the irony of this school. I mean, look around. How much do the buildings and people look like royals and princess castles?’’ Marceline said, gesturing around them. Bonnie looked around, not really understanding the point she was trying to make.

‘’What do you mean?’’

‘’Come on Bonnie, look at the other girls at this school. They’re total princesses, hair slick and done up with glitter and bows. Clothes neatly pressed, makeup pretentiously loud.’’

Bonnie felt personally offended by that, though she didn’t wear makeup, or adorn her hair that much, she felt like Marceline was just describing a princess, and she was one.

‘’What’s your point?’’ Bonnie asked, annoyed and crossing her arms.

‘’I just find it too superficial for my liking, sorry,’’ Marceline shrugged. Bonnie rolled her eyes. Obviously, Marceline was a hypocrite, because her style was so obviously put on as much as the ponied-up princess look, and she wouldn’t even admit it.

‘’Whatever, I need to prepare for school. I’ll see you later, maybe,’’ Bonnie said dismissively, just as the doors of the hall opened and students streamed out, crowding the area with chatter. Bonnie turned away and left Marceline for her dorm. She was distantly aware that she was being rude to a newcomer, which was the opposite of what she said she’d do in the speech, but she felt like Marceline was an exception. She could handle this herself, without Bonnie’s friendship, if you could even call it that. Bonnie was just a pretentious princess to Marceline, after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘’We don’t have to wait all night, to know if this is really love’’
> 
> -in my blood, the veronicas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Read this chapter listening to ‘in my blood’ by the veronicas. You will get the feels.

The next time Bonnie saw Marceline was in class, where they had ended up in the same roll for chemistry. Bonnie perked up when she saw Marceline walk into the classroom, sporting an undone tie, and wavy hair in her face. Bonnie gulped, and hoped Marceline might sit with her, but she chose a seat alone in the far back. Bonnie sighed, then turned back to the teacher, excited to see what they’d do today. Bonnie was something of a whiz in chemistry, she wasn’t afraid to admit, and she loved everything about this class. Marceline turning up might be a bonus. Bonnie was sitting with some of her friends at a lab table, none of them adept with science, but they scraped through with her leadership.  
‘’My glob, have you seen that new girl with the black hair. She’s an absolute eyesore!’’ Taffy laughed, and Bonnie scowled. Taffy was an absolute ditz, and Bonnie didn’t appreciate her meanness towards new students. They were sitting in a group for the current project assigned, to synthesise a chemical mixture and label the elements according to order of application. They finished early, thanks to Bonnie. She did everything while they sat there and looked pretty. She’s not really concerned credit wise, she’s just glad they stay out of her way while she works. She wasn’t exactly a team player anyway.

‘’Taffy, you shouldn’t judge people based on their looks. It’s hard being the new kid,’’ Bonnie said, absentminded looking over at Marceline, who was still working on the project, by herself. She looked like she was struggling.

‘’Yeah, I know, but really? Who decided to let her into this place? She’s not even good at school,’’ Taffy asked the group, flicking her bobbed white-blond hair over her shoulder.

‘’She’s probably super rich, being the only reason, she got in,’’ Eliza pointed out, brushing her fingers through her sleek chocolate brown hair. Bonnie glared at them, then stood up.

‘’Where are you going?’’ Ann asked, and Bonnie didn’t respond. She walked straight over to Marceline and stood in front of her. Marceline looked up from the project and jumped when she saw Bonnie standing right there.

‘’Oh, um hey Bonnie. Whatcha doin’ over here?’’ Marceline asked.

‘’Getting away from my friends. They’re being dillweeds,’’ Bonnie said, pulling up an empty chair and sitting beside her. She didn’t bother looking back at her friends, she didn’t need to know they were making snarky expressions and rude remarks. She noticed the experiment Marceline was working on desperately needed guidance, but she sat and watched instead, not wanting to steamroll Marceline, but itching to do it properly.

‘’I saw you getting this stuff done quickly. Did your dillweed friends help you out at all?’’ Marceline asked. Bonnie shrugged.

‘’They do their own thing, and I’m glad to take over and do it myself anyway. They stay out of the way so I’m fine with it,’’ Bonnie said.

‘’Screw that- they can’t just take credit for brilliant work that isn’t theirs!’’ Marceline said, getting angry. Bonnie blushed, surprised that Marceline cared, and a little pleased about it.

‘’Well, I’m okay with it. I just like being able to do more, they’d just get in the way. They’re not the brightest girls,’’ Bonnie sheepishly said, avoiding Marceline’s eyes staring intently at her.

‘’Why do you hang out with them then?’’ Marceline asked, softer. Bonnie turned to her, and her heart melted when she saw how sad she looked. Bonnie sighed.

‘’I don’t know honestly. Sometimes they’re so mean and judgemental. Just before they were making fun of you,’’ Bonnie admitted. Marceline’s eyes widened.

‘’What?’’

‘’They were making fun of your fashion choices, and how you got into this school,’’ Bonnie said. Marceline puffed up in anger.

‘’And what’s so wrong with me that I couldn’t come here huh? Just because I don’t do my hair up in freaking bows and act like a fairy, I’m this horrible monster that doesn’t belong?’’ Marceline asked angrily, standing up from her seat.

‘’I know! it’s horrible! I don’t think that, they’re just being mean. I came over here because of it. Not because I pitied you or anything, but you look like you could use some help,’’ Bonnie pointed to the mess of the chemistry experiment on Marceline’s table. Marceline looked at it and laughed awkwardly, sitting back down sheepishly.

‘’Yeah well, not everyone can be as smart as you,’’ Marceline said. Bonnie smirked.

‘’You want some help with that?’’ Bonnie said, pointing to the experiment.

‘’You’d help me out? A non-princess bad girl?’’ Marceline asked?

‘’Ha-ha, I’m not that shallow. Besides, you’re not a bad girl,’’ Bonnie said, grabbing the safety goggles from the table and slipping them on. Marceline smirked, and moved aside for Bonnie to proceed.

‘’You don’t know how bad I am. You might find out soon enough though,’’ Marceline said, poking Bonnie in the side. Bonnie grunted and started resetting the experiment. 

Marceline stuck at her side and Bonnie explained each step she took, getting Marceline to take notes as she combined chemicals. Marceline kept joking around, grudgingly being forced by Bonnie to keep working, and stop goofing off. In the end they finished the experiment, Bonnie laughing over comments Marceline made about teachers she’d had classes with.

‘’Alright, you just log those results and we’ll be done,’’ Bonnie said, taking her goggles off and slapping them back on the table and turning to Marceline. She smiled when she saw Marceline dutifully jotting the work down in her notepad, her tongue sticking out in concentration. When she’d finished, she set the notes down and sighed, flipping her overgrown bangs away from her face.

‘’Woof, I’m glad that’s done. How do you have so much excitement for these things?’’

‘’Well, learning chemistry is important if you want a career in the sciences, like I do. What do you wanna do after school?’’ 

‘’I wanna be a hardcore Rockstar who does mad rifts by day, and party hard by night,’’ Marceline said. Bonnie rolled her eyes.

‘’Do you play an instrument?’’ Bonnie asked, avoiding that topic of the likelihood of that happening, knowing it would end with a fight. Marceline perked up.

‘’Yeah dude, I have a bass guitar I made from an axe. I brought it here to jam out when I get bored- or so I don’t go insane,’’ Marceline said.

‘’That sounds awesome! Could I hear you play sometime?’’ Bonnie asked hopefully. She wasn’t the biggest person for music, but the way Marceline got excited about it made her more interested to see what she could do. Marceline blushed and laughed nervously.

‘’Um sure, of course you can. We could go to my dorm and get it after class if you want,’’ Marceline suggested. Bonnie blushed, because that was a pretty forward invitation, or maybe she was just overthinking it, and it meant nothing.

‘’That sounds great. Are you in the shared dorm rooms?’’ Bonnie asked.

‘’Uh no, my dad put me in my own room. I know, it’s super spoilt,’’ Marceline groaned.

‘’I was put in my own room too. I don’t know if its spoilt or anything, but some people like space, like me,’’ Bonnie said.

‘’Yeah, I’m pretty much the same.’’ The bell rang at this moment, and Marceline leapt off her seat, hoisted her bag and grabbed Bonnie by the hand, pulling her out of the class. Bonnie yelped in surprise but allowed Marceline to shove her out of the classroom.

‘’Come on Peebs, I gotta show you my killer bass,’’ Marceline said, still holding Bonnie’s hand as she raced through the hallways.

‘’Careful, Marci,’’ Bonnie warned, and Marceline only laughed, turning to grin at Bonnie’s worried face.

‘’You’re too cute Bonbon,’’ Marceline gushed, and Bonnie blushed. She was humiliated with herself for blushing so much, but she couldn’t stop. Every word Marceline said was just butter to Bonnie’s ears, and then she would deny her sweetness by acting tough and punk. Bonnie hurried through the halls with Marceline as students poured out of the classrooms, done for the day. They made it out of the science block and headed through the beautiful brambling pathways outside until they approached the dorms. Bonnie loved the gardens of this school, they were so colourful and organised, and she often volunteered for student gardener club. Marceline opened the door for Bonnie, and Bonnie beamed at her, thanking her sweetly. She was feeling weird, the combination for being invited to Marceline’s room and laughing at her jokes before made her cautiously giddy. Marceline smiled back and bowed dramatically. Bonnie stifled her giggles with her hand. Really- the hand giggles? She was being flirty, to Marceline. Really? 

Bonnie apprehended herself and took more caution as they headed to the second floor, where the single rooms were, Bonnie’s included. When they got to Marceline’s door, Bonnie realised her own room was only down the corridor.

‘’Oh! My room is just down the hall from here,’’ Bonnie happily announced.

‘’Really, well that’s…good,’’ Marceline said slowly, awkwardly. Bonnie laughed at herself and her stupid excitement, who got excited about that? Stupid.

Marceline opened her door and led Bonnie inside. The single dorms could be personalised by the students however they wished, mostly just rugs and poster and stuff of that sort. Granted Bonnie’s own room was maybe a tad overdone, but Marceline’s was surprisingly simple, a few rock posters and a purple carpet, and some random junk on a spare shelf every room received. Her bed was unmade, and that struck Bonnie’s impulsive cleaning habits, but she stayed planted at the door, taking everything in.

‘’So, here it is. Nothing much,’’ Marceline raised her shoulders, smiling apologetically at Bonnie like she was offended by its simplicity. Bonnie laughed under her breath; Marceline was so cute. She didn’t just think that.

‘’I like it, it’s very you,’’ Bonnie smiled, drifting through the small room. 

‘’Oh, let me show you my bass!’’ Marceline energetically bounced to her bed, where beside it on a stand was a red axe with strings attached. She picked it up and play a few strings, and the sound was quite different to the music Bonnie was used to hearing.

‘’Wow, that’s so cool. That’s creative making that axe into a guitar, maybe you should try art. You could be good at it,’’ Bonnie suggested, eyeing the design with intrigue.

‘’Nah, I’m only interested in my music,’’ Marceline said, running her fingers across the strings.

‘’How about band? They’d love to have you.’’

‘’I don’t think I’d fit in playing alongside flutes and lutes. I’m more of a solo artist- with the occasional drumbeat.’’

Bonnie huffed, wondering if she was always this stubborn.

‘’Just listen to this,’’ Marceline said. Bonnie took a seat on Marceline’s bed, not sure if she was crossing a line, but didn’t move off. Marceline hesitated, her cheeks going red, but then stopped and ran to her shelf, turning on a speaker that played a drumbeat. Marceline returned near Bonnie and started playing. Bonnie watched intently, her own cheeks burning.

Hello, journal, it's me

It's been a while since we've talked

About my life and stuff

Let's start with my feelings about my friends

Oh, wait, I don't have friends

Bonnie flushed at the sound of Marceline’s singing. It was beautiful, so angelic and smooth. The lyrics felt so personal to her, and Bonnie realised they were about this school, Marceline being alone. She felt ashamed she’d ignored Marceline in the first few days of school, when being alone and new was its hardest. 

There's a whole lot to me and I can't reveal

Because they don't know what it's like to

Live... for-...

Ever... and for-

Bonnie was only hearing snippets of this song by now, her vision so tunnelled by the dark sadness of this song. Had Marceline written it herself? Her heart was beating faster at the prospect that she was so talented. Her friends had no idea Marceline was a lyrical genius. This had to be heard, it was too precious to keep secret in this dorm room. Marceline deserved a stage, and audience, and Bonnie would be her biggest fan. She had to be. And to think Bonnie had assumed Marceline couldn’t make it as a star before, how different she would see the world from now on. She was never going to assume other’s talents again. The way Marceline was gliding across the floor like it was her entire stage, so graceful yet intense. Bonnie couldn’t stop staring, and realised her mouth was open, had been open since she started playing.

Get who you even are and

What do you even think about anything?

How can anyone relate to me?

When they cannot see what I see?

My vampire eyes see only blood... red... skies;

Blood red skies make tears inside that I always hide

So, I walk alone...

In... my... mental home

I can't let on

Bonnie was leaning over the bed towards Marceline with wet eyes. Her breath hitched at every change in pitch, and she held her knees tight enough to make her knuckles white. By the end of the song, Marceline turned back towards Bonnie and her eyes flew open when she saw Bonnie crying, tears silently falling down her cheeks as she looked up at her with huge, glimmering eyes.

‘’Bonnie! Are you okay?’’ Marceline asked, rushing over to the bed and kneeling below her on the floor, holding Bonnie’s shoulders. Bonnie looked at Marceline’s worried face, and released a wet sob, and shakily laughed, turning red.

‘’Yeah, I’m fine. You’re just so beautiful. That song is so sad- oh glob this is embarrassing,’’ Bonnie admitted, looking down into her lap as more tears fell down her hot cheeks. 

Marceline didn’t say anything, just lifted herself up on the bed and embraced Bonnie tightly, putting her face in Bonnie’s hair. They stayed that way for a few moments, the only sound coming from choked up sounds in Bonnie’s throat. Finally, Marceline spoke up, small and sad.

‘’I shouldn’t have done that song. It’s a really personal one. I just wanted you to hear it I guess, oh Bonnie please don’t cry,’’ Marceline said, sounding choked up herself as she hugged Bonnie tighter. Bonnie clutched at Marceline’s arm. She was distantly aware this wasn’t appropriate behaviour for someone she barely knew, but the touch was so comforting and natural that she ignored her rational mind’s doubts.

‘’I’ve just been selfish. You were alone and hurting by yourself at a big new school, and I ignored you over some dumb comment you didn’t agree with when we met. I’m so sorry, I had no idea how you felt, and I should have. Oh, glob I should have, I’m just as lonely as you are,’’ Bonnie admitted, trying and failing to wipe the tears from her face. Marceline took her face and turned it towards her, frowning at Bonnie sadly.

‘’How are you lonely? You’ve got lots of friends, teachers love you and this school loves you,’’ Marceline said, trying to make Bonnie feel better, but it made her feel worse, because she was even lonelier because of these things.

‘’They only care about my status and suck up to me to higher their own. I must act and dress a certain way, to uphold my family name, and I can’t really be myself. I just wish sometimes I could let loose and do what I want, like you do. But I can’t,’’ Bonnie said sadly.

‘’Who’s stopping you from being yourself. Only you can do that,’’ Marceline said.

‘’I’ve just been overrun with other people’s expectations. I wanna be like you, do what I want. Act like who I really am,’’ Bonnie said seriously, staring at Marceline intensely.

‘’Who are you really?’’ Marceline asked, now holding Bonnie’s hands as they sat facing each other on the bed.

‘’Adventurous and commanding,’’ Bonnie gravely said, and Marceline cracked a smile.

‘’I’d like to think I’m adventurous too,’’ Marceline smiled, making Bonnie go red for some reason. Marceline noticed this and brushed her hand softly against Bonnie’s cheek, wiping away some wetness. Bonnie, unable to resist melting into the touch, held her hand over Marceline’s there, and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, Marceline was closer to her face, and Bonnie could feel her breath against her upper lip. She leaned closer herself, heart beating so hard she was worried Marceline could feel the bed shaking against her.

‘’I don’t know if you need to change anything about yourself for anyone. As far as I’m concerned, you’re perfect,’’ Marceline whispered, stroking Bonnie’s cheek. Bonnie opened her eyes to find bold red eyes beaming into her, gazing at her soul and exposing everything Bonnie had been terrible at hiding in the first place. Marceline didn’t need to be told; she could see it. Bonnie sighed, unsure whether she should feel relieved by this or anxious to the point of gnawing at her own hair. She felt like she had to say something to break this tension, but Marceline beat her to it.

‘’Would you mind if I?’’ Marceline asked softly, nervous, and Bonnie shook her head, quickly, terrified but feeling brave. Then she felt lips hot against her own, pressing softly. 

Bonnie pressed back and they chastely kissed, the rest of the small room silent aside from the quiet rustle of sheets from under them as they repositioned themselves closer for better contact. 

Bonnie felt her heart slamming against her, and if she didn’t understand the biological explanation for this she would be freaking out. She could fool herself by justifying it with the Phenylethylamine released in her brain, and causing a dopamine chemical reaction that occurred, but she couldn’t care less about the scientific explanation of it right now. It was love, it had to be. Nothing else has ever come close to this feeling, and Bonnie knew that when they released from the kiss and looked at each other again, and she only saw Marceline’s stunning face and wanted to do this forever. 

Bonnie breathed heavily, still dizzyingly close to Marceline’s face, and moved her hand to clutch Marceline’s forearm. Marceline laughed under her breath as they swayed in for another kiss, this time Bonnie parted her lips softly, allowing Marceline to gently push access with her tongue into Bonnie’s mouth. They both moaned at this new contact, and started licking timidly into each other’s mouths, feeling emboldened, but still nervous at this new development and how scary good it was. Bonnie was buzzing when they released again from each other, only to dart back in for another, and another, embarrassed for wanting more, but unable to stop themselves anyway. Marceline released Bonnie’s lips for air, panting quietly. She was beaming, but it only recalled what they were doing, what they were to each other, and now Bonnie would have to worry herself with more questions.

‘’What is this?’’ Bonnie asked softly, scared. Marceline took her face in her hands and gazed dazedly at her.

‘’I don’t know,’’ Marceline admitted, sounding scared herself. ‘’Something that's freaking me out, but still good, I think.’’

Bonnie smiled, and pulled Marceline back towards her and locked lips. As time passed, they grew more anxious and started kissing with more ferocity, Marceline pinning Bonnie down on her back as she pried her lips open to slide against Bonnie’s tongue, both of them fidgeting with the need to have more, but unaware about how to go about it. Kissing was the extent Bonnie knew about sex, and even if she did, it felt far too early for anything so seemingly monumental, no matter what her body was suggesting otherwise. The bell ringing from out in the hall saved her from finding out, and she pulled Marceline off her and sat up. Marceline groaned.

‘’It’s tea now, if we don’t go, they’ll check the dorms,’’ Bonnie said, standing up hurriedly and brushing her skirt down, like she was guilty of something illicit. Marceline seemed to notice this and gave her an embarrassed smirk.

‘’Was it that bad?’’ Marceline asked, sitting up and getting off the bed, brushing her own clothes down. Pointedly, Bonnie thought.

‘’No-no, it was- yeah. It just feels like someone would be suspicious if our uniforms were mussed up,’’ Bonnie said, blushing at what they just did, even if the act itself wasn’t such a big deal in hindsight. To someone like her who’d only kissed that boyfriend she had once when she was younger, when things like that were the ultimate sexual experience. He was long gone now anyway, and she’d never really done anything else, with anyone else. It all seemed pointless, that is, until Marceline. She wondered if Marceline had more experience in this area than her.

‘’I’d have probably done worse. You were saved by the bell,’’ Marceline joked, and Bonnie rolled her eyes.

‘’It was good though’’ Bonnie quietly said, avoiding Marceline’s eyes out of embarrassment as they walked out of dorm room and down the hall. As they walked out of the building and headed towards the cafeteria, they stayed close and Bonnie’s hand kept brushing with Marceline’s. She wanted to hold it, but she wasn’t sure if it was too forward, or too assured with what was going on, which Bonnie had no idea. All she knew was she wanted to keep kissing Marceline, hold her hand and give her hugs that extended past the platonic affection of friends. She had no idea what Marceline wanted though, and it scared her that it meant so much what she did want.

‘’Have you ever been in a relationship?’’ Bonnie asked as they walked, trying to break the ice-cold tension arising between them. Marceline shrugged.

‘’Only once, with this jackweed named Ash. The jerk sold my childhood teddybear, Hambo, to a witch for money he later used to get high. That’s why we broke up,’’ Marceline said, anger flooding into her tone. Bonnie felt stupid for asking.

‘’Oh, sorry for bringing it up,’’ Bonnie awkwardly said, looking down.

‘’Nah, it’s cool. How about you huh? You date anyone?’’ Marceline bumped her shoulder to Bonnie casually.

‘’Ah, yes. It was this boy, funny that I can’t even remember his real name, just this nickname people in my hometown called him. Mr Cream puff, you can probably imagine why we didn’t work from that name,’’ Bonnie said.

‘’Um, he was gay?’’ Marceline asked, and Bonnie laughed hard.

‘’No! He was a fluff-brain, couldn’t think for himself. It got so boring, had to tell him what to do and where to go, and it just felt like I was his mom,’’ Bonnie said. ‘’So, did you do anything, uh physical, with Ash?’’ Bonnie asked, blushing from the vulgarity of the question. Marceline blushed too.

‘’Uh-ha, well, we kissed and stuff. It didn’t really progress any further, and then we broke up, so… no’’ Marceline said. Bonnie nodded curtly, internally cheering, and practically whispered ‘’Me too.’’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you get the feels?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘You know you want to be together, I want to spend the night with you’
> 
> ‘Come with me tonight, we can make the night last forever’’
> 
> -4Ever, the veronicas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen to ‘4Ever’ by the veronicas while reading this chapter. It feels like it was written for these moments.

When they arrived at the cafeteria finally, after the walk and conversation that felt like eternity, the awkwardness continued. Bonnie’s friends were waiting for her, basically at her feet immediately awaiting orders, and Marceline scowled at them. Bonnie saw this and shrunk, feeling dumb, and her friends bristled at Marceline’s presence. After some harsh comments by them and Marceline nearly fighting Eliza, Bonnie took the executive decision to seat her friends at their usual table and find a spare table where she and Marceline would sit. Her friends looked at her askance, looking horrified by that decision, but Bonnie ignored them and led Marceline to the back where an empty table was.

‘’You didn’t have to do that,’’ Marceline said once they’d collected their meals and sat down. 

‘’Yes, I did. Those girls need to be put in their place occasionally anyway,’’ Bonnie said. She was still feeling tender about Marceline’s song, and the lyrics that made Bonnie cry when they were so obviously directed at Marceline’s first experience here. Bonnie wanted her to have a better one from now on, with Bonnie at her side. They both sat straight ahead, eating silently, excruciatingly awkwardly. Bonnie couldn’t look anywhere but her plate, and for once she wasn’t loving the spaghetti served. Her nerves were demolishing her appetite.

‘’So, um, are we gonna talk about what happened before?’’ Marceline cut in suddenly. Bonnie laughed nervously, wondering if Marceline was worrying as much as her. Probably not, nobody beat Bonnibel at overthinking something.

‘’Uh, yeah, if you want. I just don’t know what to do now,’’ Bonnie admitted, toying with her fork, not eating anything on her plate yet.

‘’Well, uh, I think we should start with the obvious. Was that like, a one-time thing, or would you maybe want to keep doing it,’’ Marceline said, her hopeful tone making Bonnie turn to look at her. Her face was burning red.

‘’Of course, I’d like to do it again, but. I just don’t understand what we’d be doing again. Kissing? You don’t casually make out with your friends,’’ Bonnie pointed out, feeling like she would be taking this thing over, like with her other friends. Always a dictator.

‘’Well, no, but maybe something could be like arranged. So, we wouldn’t be friends doing this, but something else,’’ Marceline said.

‘’What are you talking about?’’ Bonnie asked, confused. The only other thing was dating right?

‘’Maybe, we could be friends. But do that other stuff on the side, as well,’’ Marceline said slowly. Oh.

‘’Oh, so you’re talking about like- friends with benefits, or something,’’ Bonnie asked. That was better than nothing right?

‘’Uh yeah, something like that, or you know… dating,’’ Marceline said, blushing. Bonnie blushed as well, but she was smiling too.

‘’I like that idea,’’ Bonnie said. She held her hand out and Marceline took it, making an embarrassed face and looking down. It was adorable.

‘’I say we don’t tell people either,’’ Marceline said, looking up at Bonnie suddenly.

‘’Huh? Why not?’’ Bonnie asked, confused.

‘’Dude think about it. This is an all-girls school. If the teachers found out they’d have to rethink their lives. Because we live and sleep in the same areas, and things happen in the bedroom…’’ Marceline gestured with her hand the point she was trying to make. Bonnie frowned.

‘’Who said we’d be doing anything like that?’’ Bonnie asked, and Marceline smirked evilly.

‘’I did, of course. You think you can get away looking like you do. It’s a crime, Peebs,’’ Marceline said darkly. Bonnie guffawed.

‘’You think I’m bad? You need to look in the mirror more Marci, because you’re hotter than a fresh cinnamon bun,’’ Bonnie said, grinning. Marceline laughed.

‘’If you say so, but I can’t look in the mirror. I’m a vampire, remember? I’ll take your word for it anyway,’’ Marceline said, playing with her meal. Bonnie was suddenly feeling very antsy and fidgeted in her seat. She looked across at Marceline and her body heated up. Maybe, if she had the guts to do it. But, no, they’re just starting out. Now’s not the time to explore. She only had an idea of what they’d be able to do anyway, both being girls. 

Bonnie stared at Marceline as she sucked the red from the marinara sauce of the spaghetti, leaving a colourless mess on the plate.

‘’That’s so cool,’ Bonnie absently said, thinking about the science of that phenomenon. Marceline looked up from her plate to Bonnie and smiled.

‘’You wanna try monotone spaghetti Peebles?’’ Marceline asked, pushing her plate towards Bonnie. Bonnie looked down at it, seeing everything unchanged except for a now grey puddle of the pasta. The colour was so unusual, Bonnie hadn’t seen any colour like that on food before. She prodded it with her fork, then took a mouthful. Marceline laughed, as she swallowed and moaned. The flavour was so much the same as her own plate, but something about it was different, and so good. Maybe it was the colour, or maybe the fact that it was Marceline’s, and Bonnie was eating off her plate.

‘’Oh glob, that is so good. I love spaghetti,’’ Bonnie said, taking another mouthful.

‘’I can see that,’’ Marceline said, chuckling. Bonnie looked up at her and tried to smile, her mouth still full. It was very unprincess-like, this whole thing she was doing, but she’d had more fun than ever before, and it was only eating spaghetti with her new girlfriend. She couldn’t care less about regality right now. Even Marceline looked surprised she’d lost her inhibitions a little.

‘’I wanna do something tonight,’’ Bonnie said suddenly, although she had some homework planned. She could finish that work anytime. She just felt whimsical and felt like doing something adventurous with Marceline. Marceline looked at her with surprise.

‘’Really? Do you mean just going to the library or something?’’ Marceline asked. Bonnie shook her head.

‘’I want to go into town,’’ Bonnie said. Marceline smirked.

‘’Well lucky for you, I know how to get out of this prison without getting caught,’’ Marceline said. Bonnie grinned excitedly.

‘’Let’s go then,’’ Bonnie said, grabbing Marceline’s hand and pulling her up from the table. Marceline guffawed.

‘’What? You mean right now?’’ Marceline asked, shocked as Bonnie pulled her out of the cafeteria, looking back for her friends, who were watching her go outside with Marceline. Bonnie grinned at Marceline’s surprised face.

‘’You don’t seem convinced I can be spontaneous and fun,’’ Bonnie said once they escaped the cafeteria and were walking outside.

‘’You surprise me Bonnie,’’ Marceline said. ‘’Here, I’ll show you the way out,’’ Marceline offered, walking ahead. They turned a few times, then Marceline halted, and Bonnie ran into her, giggling into her shoulder and holding her, breathing in her hair.

‘’Just through these brambles, is a gap. I’ve looked around this place and it’s the only way to get out besides from the entrance gate. But we don’t want people to know, do we?’’ Marceline asked. Bonnie shook her head, nuzzling her face into Marceline’s hair.

‘’Nup. Just this once though, I’ll be a bad girl with you,’’ Bonnie said. Marceline turned slightly, and she must have been thinking about it too, because she tilted her head to capture Bonnie lips just as eagerly as Bonnie. Bonnie moaned, feeling drunk with giddy feelings and wanting to let Marceline know about them, how crazy she was making her. This whole thing went against her character, and yet she loved it, wanted to stray from what she’s known more than ever, as long as Marceline was there with her, kissing her like this.

Eventually Marceline pulled away, smiling dazedly at Bonnie, who whined at the lost contact.

‘’We should get going. Princesses first,’’ Marceline said, gesturing to the secret exit. Bonnie punched her arm playfully, and knelt to the gap, pulling the brambles away to make a space to get through. She crawled through the wall with the gap, surprised such an easy exit had remained secret from the teachers or principal all this time. She exited the other side and waited for Marceline to crawl through, practically bouncing with anticipation. Once they were both outside the school, Bonnie took Marceline’s hand and smiled. Marceline perked up, like she had an idea.

‘’Hey Bonnie, you know town is quite a walk from here, wouldn’t you prefer flying there?’’ Marceline asked, showing her vampire fangs with a toothy grin. Bonnie’s eyes widened.  
‘’Flying? But- ‘’ She was dumbstruck as Marceline transformed, and her milky white skin grew a plethora of bluish grey fur, her size tripled, and her face looked like that of a huge bat. She flapped two huge bat’s wings in front of Bonnie and leaned down towards her, smiling with huge fangs and a forked tongue. Bonnie stepped back with gasp, her mouth open in shock.

‘’Isn’t this an upgrade from walking huh?’’ Marceline said, growling the words out.

‘’I-‘’ Bonnie stuttered.

‘’C’mon PB, I’ll carry you to town,’’ Marceline said, extending her clawed arm, which was not attached to her wing, which was anatomically incorrect, but whatever. Bonnie hesitated, and Marceline laughed, throaty and high pitched. She grabbed Bonnie by the waist and put her on her back, barely giving Bonnie time to grab anything for grip as she left the ground and flapped away.

‘’Oh, my glob! Oh my glob!'' Bonnie shrieked when Marceline flew down the mountain at what felt like top speed, the wind flipping her bubble-gum hair into disarray. She chanced a glance behind her as she held for dear life, seeing the school from an aerial view, its grand space miniscule from this height and instantly felt terrified. Bonnie shuffled forward on Marceline’s back, wrapping her arms tightly around Marceline’s now huge neck and put her head down, jamming her eyes shut tightly, and praying to survive.

‘’C’mon Bonnie, look up at the view. You’ll not be disappointed,’’ Marceline called as they flew.

‘’No- I’ll die if I look up. This so dangerous!’’ Bonnie cried out, shaking her head.

‘’I won’t let you die Bonnie. I care too much to let anything happen to you,’’ Marceline said. 

Bonnie softened hearing this, and blinked her eyes open, still wary. She opened them wider and peeked out from above Marceline’s head and gasped. It was late afternoon, the sun quietly receding from the horizon, leaving behind a saturation of orange and pink glow in the sky. They were high enough to see the clouds at their level, shading the sunset with grey and blue. The view was beautiful, and Bonnie calmed down, no longer gripping Marceline’s fur tightly. She climbed up her back and leaned up to get a better view of the sky, mesmerised by it. She crossed her arms on Marceline’s head and leaned her chin on them, staring out.

‘’It’s so beautiful,’’ Bonnie whispered.

‘’It never gets old,’’ Marceline said, sighing. That’s when Bonnie remembered Marceline couldn’t be in the sun, and her only chance to see it was probably right now, when its last chance at burning her was fading away into the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t get over how much this band fits in with this fic


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘I feel so untouched, and I want you so much’’
> 
> -Untouched, The Veronicas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine this chapter accompanied by the song ‘untouched’ by The Veronicas, so try listening to it while you read this one, it’s pretty good.

Eventually they landed into town, and only then did she realise the trip should have been much quicker by flying than it did, then realised Marceline flew slower than she had to. 

She’d wanted Bonnie to enjoy it. Bonnie was smitten.

They dropped off in a field behind some buildings to the main street of the quaint little town closest to the school. Once Bonnie was safely dispatched from her back, Marceline transformed back to her regular self. Bonnie preferred that version anyway. She smiled at Bonnie and pulled her close, giving her a quick kiss. What should have been a quick kiss, but Bonnie was hungry. She was hungry for something Marceline wouldn’t give her but had provided teasing samples of. Her heart was beating hard from the exhilarating flying, and she could feel her blood pumping through her with adrenaline. 

Bonnie licked Marceline’s mouth, prying it open and slowly, thickly finding Marceline’s tongue, wet and hungry for her too. It was only then Bonnie considered where they were, and any townsfolk could see them in the field between the gaps of the stores. She backed away from Marceline, giving her an apologetic look.

‘’There are people still around. Any word two girls from the same school are together will go straight to the principal, and it’s not like we blend into the crowd anyway’’ Bonnie said.

‘’Fine, fine. But when can we do anything? You always stop before it even starts!’’ Marceline said, holding her hips and huffing. Bonnie snorted and took Marceline’s hand, taking her forward and walking into the town.

‘’If you mean in class and outside the cafeteria, you can keep dreaming if you think I’ll do anything more,’’ Bonnie said. Marceline sighed.

‘’I’m gonna get you. Somehow,’’ Marceline warned, almost hissing, and Bonnie laughed.

‘’And I’ll be ready for you.’’

‘’Is that a challenge?’’ Marceline asked, grinning wickedly, as they walked on the sidewalk of the street, glancing down at the shops. Bonnie had been down into town many times in the allocated times, and she assumed Marceline had too, given how well she knew how to get out.

‘’Sure,’’ Bonnie smirked, mischievously. She was pretty sure Marceline wouldn’t try to attack her during class or anything ridiculous like that, so she was confident she’d be welcoming to any schemes to get beyond kissing. She was excited for it, but if felt out of taste to go right to that, they were supposed to go on a date right first. That’s what this was, a date? She decided to think of it as one, regardless if Marceline thought otherwise.

They removed hands when someone walked past, Bonnie mildly blushing with the risk of getting caught. Even though it wasn’t particularly damning to be hold hands, she just felt like someone would take one look at them and know they were itching to get into each other’s skirts. That was her anyway.

They ended up going inside a milk bar that Bonnie knew had milkshakes, and Marceline paid for them, handing Bonnie a strawberry flavoured one after sucking some of the red out of the cup.

‘’You sure you didn’t want one?’’ Bonnie asked as they sat down on one of the high stools, facing each other. Marceline shrugged.

‘’I prefer just eating red, rather than actual food. Anyway, sharing that one makes more sense,’’ Marceline said. Bonnie took a sip, and passed the cup to Marceline, who just leaned down to suck the red, staring at Bonnie the whole time. Bonnie didn’t know why that was hot, but it was. She licked a stripe up the cup after sucking, letting Bonnie watch her forked tongue flicker over the cup she was shakily holding. Marceline removed her mouth and gave Bonnie a hazy look.

‘’Bonnie,’’ Marceline murmured, looking at her strangely. Suddenly Bonnie didn’t want to be on this date, she wanted something that happened afterwards, according to the real adults.

‘’Let’s get out of here,’’ Bonnie suggested, her seat wet.

**

So, they ended up fumbling into the alley beside the milk bar, legs barely functional as they crashed against each other, Bonnie slamming Marceline into the wall. They kissed roughly and dived hungrily into each other’s mouths, both so flustered and wet that they didn’t care how reckless they were being. Bonnie rubbed herself down on Marceline, hooking her leg around Marceline’s for traction. Marceline moved her hands down to Bonnie’s ass and pulled. Bonnie got the idea and jumped up, wrapping her legs around Marceline’s waist and kissing her fervently.

‘’This what you meant by something more?’’ Bonnie asked, sucking Marceline’s neck. Marceline groaned and pressed herself closer to Bonnie, practically docking her, and Bonnie moaned.

‘’Yeah- or no. Not enough- mphh,’’ Marceline said, Bonnie attacking her tongue again.

‘’We- we can’t here though,’’ Bonnie said, so upset by this, she was so anxious, and blindly humping herself onto Marceline as her legs held her wrapped around Marceline’s waist.

‘’You wanna go back to school then?’’ Marceline said. For a second Bonnie thought she meant forget about it, just head back, but then she caught on, and suddenly that sentence was so hot, and Bonnie could barely contain herself.

‘’Your room,’’ Bonnie said, whining, but she didn’t care, Marceline seemed to understand what she meant anyway.

**

The flight back to school was harder than they anticipated, but Bonnie held tight on Marceline’s back as she swayed through the air somewhat drunk-like. Bonnie drank in the air and nuzzled Marceline’s back, trying not to fall off, despite her new braveness for flying. It was quite exhilarating, and she decided she wouldn’t mind doing it again. Later though, right now she needed Marceline so badly she felt like her bones were burning with an insatiable, corrupt desire, one she was sure to be in trouble later for. She didn’t care right now though, she wanted to consume the evil desire with every breath, as long as she got Marci.

Getting back into the school walls was a real hat trick, because Bonnie was certain she couldn’t walk without trying to hump herself against something, anything, preferable Marceline. Marci seemed to be in a similar condition, stumbling through the grass on the outside of the high garden walls of school, making their way to the secret entry point whence they escaped the place. While crawling through the gap after Marci, Bonnie wondered if they were this bad right now because of their genealogy, something in vampires and gum that gave them both a hyper-sex drive. It didn’t feel possible to want someone so bad and feel the physical trauma from yearning alone.

They both giggled manically as they snuck through the halls, avoiding the night guards, and trying to stay silent to not wake the sleeping girls in the dorms around them, everyone asleep for an hour now. They’d been out for longer than they thought, but this was even better. No one would disrupt them, as they crept into Marceline’s room, shutting the door, and couldn’t even make it to the bed before Bonnie pounced on her and they collapsed to the ground, the moment funny enough to laugh at if they both weren’t so keyed up, instead moaning.

Bonnie leant down to kiss Marci, sloppily trying to get as much as she could from Marceline’s mouth, as much as she loved it, the wetness, the heat, Marci’s deliciously sharp fangs, it still wasn’t enough. Her legs were shaking, and she didn’t need to feel herself to know she was so wet, and just feeling herself would make her go insane. She wanted to go insane, she wanted to make Marceline go insane, both of them fall apart, together.

‘’Are we gonna have sex or what?’’ Marceline asked, currently held down by the hips by Bonnie’s bare thighs, her skirt hiked up already. Marceline was looking up at Bonnie hovering above her, her eyes piercing red, ferocious, but patient, waiting for Bonnie. Bonnie licked Marci’s lips, tugging her gorgeously long black locks. She looked back down at Marceline; her face hovering close. A pang of nervousness hit her.

‘’I don’t know how,’’ Bonnie admitted softly, feeling ashamed now. She was supposed to know everything, the guide to everyone else’s uncertainties. Marceline kept staring at her, to the point where Bonnie had to look away, because her eyes felt to intense to not melt away all armour Bonnie struggled to put up as they progressed their relationship so quickly. Marceline touched Bonnie’s cheek, turned it toward her, suddenly the softest thing Bonnie’s ever known.

‘’We can learn together,’’ Marceline said softly, lovingly, and Bonnie nodded, smiling nervously.

The actual act of having sex wasn’t as daunting as Bonnie first imagined, though her perceptions were widely skewed as Marceline felt in between her legs and prodded inside her with her delicately long fingers, so soft Bonnie felt like screaming from how soft and reverent the brushes over her nerves made her shiver and shake involuntarily. She couldn’t manage it, so strung out from this that she couldn’t manage to make a sound, that was until Marceline dragged over a spot that made her clench and moan like a maniac, humping upwards desperately.

‘’Marci-ahh, you, you’re so, ugh, yes,‘’ Bonnie stuttered, gripping Marceline tightly as she hovered above her. She opened her mouth for Marceline and they kissed, Marceline still pushing deeper inside her with a fluid flick of her wrist. Bonnie skimmed down Marceline’s backside, under her skirt and over her ass, dipping lower to slick her forefingers with its wetness staining through Marci’s underwear. Marceline used her spare hand to pull her underwear down, still kissing her, letting Bonnie rub her until she was spasming around her fingers, both of them in a similar state.

‘’Oh Bonnie!’’ Marceline moaned when Bonnie pushed inside of her, roaming the tight wet heat of her walls, flustered from the feeling and Marceline doing the same to her.

‘’Is that good?’’ Bonnie asked, wondering if Marceline felt as good as she did right now.

‘’You’re so good at this, fuck, and you taste like bubblegum,‘’ Marceline panted.

‘’Don’t curse,‘’ Bonnie said, wriggling her hips back and forth to get a better angle to find those spots inside of her Marceline brushed at.

Marceline snorted and licked up Bonnie’s neck, sucking her and making her breath hitch.

‘’Yeah,‘’ Bonnie breathed, surrendering her neck and throwing her head back, adding a finger inside of Marceline, watching her lose control and attack her neck more ferociously. 

Bonnie felt her bite into it, the initial pain was thwarted by an unexpected wave of shudders that erupted from within her. She grasped Marceline’s hair with one hand, still fingering her with the other, and let Marceline suck her, feeling herself get light headed. She opened her eyes and noticed her skin was a few shades lighter than before, and Marceline was licking puncture wounds from her neck.

‘’Did you just suck my blood?’’ Bonnie asked.

‘’Suck your sugar you mean. Fuck bon, you taste like that milkshake we had,’’ Marceline moaned, rolling herself down into Bonnie’s fingers. Bonnie withheld an embarrassing groan. She was concerned how much she liked that, it wouldn’t be healthy to do that during sex, surely. It felt like an orgasm though, a euphoric high she was sure they both benefitted from.

‘’Ugh, just keep fucking me,’’ Bonnie moaned. Marceline captured her lips again and they kissed, with tongues. Bonnie could taste her sugar on Marceline’s tongue, and she was beyond humiliated when that made her come all over Marceline’s fingers. She didn’t even understand that, but Marceline had been teasing her with those brushes of her fingers inside her all night, so she was a goner sooner or later. Marceline started fucking herself on Bonnie’s fingers afterwards, and Bonnie added a third, curling them around and pushing deep as they enclosed tighter around the heat inside her. They locked eyes when they parted for breath, and Marceline put her forehead against Bonnie’s, peering into her with those intense red eyes.

‘’Do you- ahh, remember when we first met?’’ Marceline panted, starting bouncing up and down above Bonnie. Only then did Bonnie realised they’d both been mostly clothed this whole time, only panties shoved down hastily. She’d felt so naked all this time, it never even occurred to her. She suddenly wanted to be naked for this, to see all of Marceline.

‘’Of- of course, I do, you weinus,’’ Bonnie admonished, gasping when Marceline hit a spot deep within her walls.

‘I was so determined to hate you, for this. For being you,’’ Marceline said.

‘’Why?’’ Bonnie asked.

‘I hated being at someone else’s mercy, yours in this case. I hated being in love with you, I made me feel like I was under your spell, like nothing I could do would stop this feeling,’’ Marceline admitted. Bonnie blushed intensely.

‘’What feeling?’’ Bonnie asked, stalling, because she was so in love with Marceline, even if it was obvious, she felt embarrassed to say it.

‘’Feeling like- I could never be enough for you, to mean as much to you as you mean to me right now,’’ Marceline said, and Bonnie quickly kissed her, desperately, erratically, because she couldn’t put to words like that how much she loved Marceline. She wasn’t a lyricist like Marci, she focused on science, that that never required talking about feelings. She couldn’t put the pounding of her chest into a sentence, the fluttering of her fingers whenever she saw her, the love hearts that she saw whenever Marceline smiled at her. She could only kiss her to express this, but it still wasn’t enough, even as they both became more unbalanced and desperate in their movements. 

They cried out together as Bonnie thrust in roughly inside Marceline, and she did the same to her. They ground their bodies together, making Bonnie gasp when her already sensitive feeling breasts slid over Marceline’s. They continued this new development while they fucked each other on their fingers, until they were both crying out and coming all over each other and wetting their thighs together into a sticky mess. Bonnie’s orgasm seemed to last for eternity before she slumped back against the ground, Marceline collapsing on top of her in a fucked out heap, both of them breathless. 

Bonnie cracked her eyes open once she got her breath back to see Marceline staring her.

‘’What?’’ Bonnie asked, raising an eyebrow at Marceline’s odd facial expression.

‘’You never said it back,’’ Marceline said.

‘’Said what back?’’

‘’That you love me,’’ Marceline said, her cheeks red. Bonnie blushed too, but because Marceline was so cute.

‘’Oh, well I thought that was obvious, dummy,’’ Bonnie smiled, brushing her fingers through Marceline’s hair. ‘’I’m so in love with you, Marci.’’

Marceline’s smile came slowly, but it was so bright and toothy, her fangs prominent. Bonnie licked them, tasting herself again. The bubblegum was strong on her mouth. Then she was laughing, because Marceline leapt up and pulled her from the ground, pulling her legs around her hips, and jumping onto the bed, with Bonnie underneath her still gasping with laughter, then she was kissing her quiet, dragging her tongue out to smother Bonnie’s mouth. Bonnie gave her a muffled moan, and they laid on the bed kissing until they drifted off to sleep, pawing at each other tiredly until they just fell asleep, snuggled tight around each other. 

Bonnie fell asleep with a smile on her face, and she could tell from behind her Marci had one too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, was I right, or was I right?


	6. Chapter 6

They woke up late the next morning, still in come-crusted school skirts, when the morning bell was alerted warning them to go to breakfast in the cafeteria. Marceline took a while to rouse, annoyed with the school’s early morning policy, when she was perfectly content right here, cuddling up with Bonnie, her girlfriend, who loved her. Marceline smiled giddily thinking this, and about last night. 

Bonnie was out cold, not showing any signs of waking up even as the next warning bell rang, telling them they should be going to breakfast right now. Marceline would have happily broken the rules and stayed in bed, but she knew Bonnie was a nerd, and she’d be furious she was late, so she softly pet Bonnie until she showed consciousness, not willing to be any harsher than soft nuzzling. Bonnie moaned and rolled over, facing Marceline with tired eyes and messed up hair that Marceline found adorable, and was extremely proud for being the cause.

‘’What time is it?’’ Bonnie asked sleepily, pulling her arm around Marceline’s waist with a dopey smile.

‘’8.30,’’ Marceline said, and Bonnie widened her eyes and shot up immediately.

‘’Oh glob, we’re late, we’re late. We should be down in the cafeteria already,’’ Bonnie said, bouncing out of bed and brushing herself off, as though a few neat pats could clear off the just-got-fucked look she was sporting. Marceline groaned and rolled on her back, looking up at the ceiling. It was hard getting back to pace of school after the events trysts of yesterday, after the eventful tryst of Bonnie.

‘’It’s not a big deal if we’re late one morning,’’ Marceline said, sitting up while Bonnie panicked around, trying to find something on the ground.

‘’It is a big deal! The students look up to me, and I’m going to be running for student body president in the coming weeks, I can’t look like a slacker who breaks rules,’’ Bonnie said.

‘’You didn’t seem to be concerned about that when we sneaked out last night, or when you broke the rules to sleep in my bed, my dorm, or I don’t know. Fuck me maybe,’’ Marceline said, smirking. Bonnie gave her an offended look, stopping in her crusade to find whatever the hell she lost on the floor.

‘’That doesn’t count. I can’t just not- have you,’’ Bonnie blushed, and Marceline grinned, holding her arms out. Bonnie gave her another look, this one of longing, then annoyance.

‘’Stop it, we have to get ready. Ugh, where did I put it?’’ Bonnie muttered, bending down on the ground to look under the bed, and Marceline laughed when she realised what she was missing. Marceline got a clear view of her upturned ass as she bent over, without any underwear on.

‘’Yeah, yeah. Enjoy the view while you can,’’ Bonnie said from the ground as Marceline ogled her, then giggled stupidly.

‘’Why don’t you just sneak back to your dorm room without them? No one will notice,’’ Marceline offered, and Bonnie scoffed.

‘’Yeah right. I’m sure you’ve noticed how short these damn skirts are, everyone could tell if I just walked wrong. And I won’t risk the hall anyway, imagine if I was caught, and I had no underwear on, that’s so damning,’’ Bonnie said.

‘’I thought you looked sexy in the skirt,’’ Marceline said. Bonnie guffawed, and stood up again, grinning at Marceline.

‘’Alright, you earned that one. But we’re missing breakfast you should know,’’ Bonnie said, walking over to the bed to Marceline.

‘’I’ll just eat you,’’ Marceline said, remembering last night. Marceline was unsure whether she should drink from her at the time, worried Bonnie might react badly and end things there or something, but Bonnie apparently got off on it, and begged for more afterwards, which was the best reaction she could’ve hoped for. Bonnie moaned this time, and straddled Marceline, kissing her and slipping her tongue out seductively, not quite letting Marceline capture it. Probably punishment for sleeping in. Before they got any further, a loud knock startled the both of them, and Bonnie gave Marceline a wide eyed look, sitting back hurriedly. The knock came again, from the door, and Bonnie immediately rolled off the bed and huddled on the other side lying down, trying to get underneath and hidden from view. Marceline panicked, and coughed in her throat.

‘’Who is it?’’ Marceline called, hoping it wasn’t a teacher.

‘’Mrs Adams. You’re late for breakfast, again. This can’t go on any longer Marceline.’’

Crabapples, it was a teacher.

‘’Um, yeah sorry about that. I slept in. Won’t happen again,’’ Marceline called, and Bonnie peeked up to give her a wounded look. Marceline looked away, not wanting to deal with that at the moment.

‘’May I come in?’’ Mrs Adams asked.

‘’No! I mean I’m not decent yet so, I’ll be out soon,’’ Marceline said, getting off the bed, going towards the door.

‘’Okay dear. You need to speak to me later today about this, don’t forget. Now hurry up before class starts, you’ve already missed the first period.’’

‘’Yep, I will,’’ Marceline said, and she watched the door until she couldn’t hear the teacher any longer, and knew she’d vacated the area outside. She turned to see Bonnie frowning at her.

‘’You’ve been late?’’ Bonnie asked. Marceline rolled her eyes, annoyed this has been made into such a big deal.

‘’Sometimes, but so what? I don’t eat that stuff they serve in there. It’s just breakfast,’’ Marceline said.

‘’But you haven’t been ditching class?’’ Bonnie asked, and Marceline was tempted to lie, but she looked at Bonnie and knew she couldn’t.

‘’Not all the time, but say when a boring class lecture is going, and know the next class will be the same. I can’t just stick around and listen to an old bat that doesn’t know anything’’ Marceline said. Bonnie huffed, and walked the door without responding. She turned to Marceline before exiting.

‘’You know you might not care about school, but I do, so try not to mess this up for me,’’ Bonnie said, and then she left the room and shut the door. Marceline stared after her, trying to feel angry, but just felt guilty.

They parted ways, Bonnie heading to class and Marceline headed towards the teachers lounge, where her office sat, hoping to find Mrs Adams and get it over with. She poked her head through the door. The teacher looked up from her desk, solemnly. Marceline recognised the disappointment in her face, and internally groaned. She’d been in this situation with teachers many times before, she could almost hear the words before they were spoken.

‘’Miss Aberdeen. I was looking over reports from your teachers. According to them you are skipping classes, turning up late, and distracting other students with your backwards shenanigans. Mr Dean, our chemistry scientist, informed me you distracted our very best science student and led her off course for the lesson. I cannot have this continue. You are lucky to be at such a prestigious school, only top girls can get in. Your father will be disappointed if his effort to enrol you had gone to waste.’’ Mrs Adams said sternly. 

Marceline fisted her hands, digging her nails into her palms to stop herself from bearing her fangs. She kept her expression neutral, resisting the temptation to throttle this woman for talking about her dad and Bonnie like she was a disease to them. Adams continued.

‘’I will need extra effort from you if you are to continue at Oooian heights. If you do not improve your act by the end of this term, we will be forced to expel you. This school has zero tolerance for this behaviour. That is why I’ve organised for you to attend homework club every afternoon for the next three weeks. We haven’t given up on you yet, remember that.’’

Marceline faced her silently, and eventually spoke up.

‘’Can I go now? I’m late to class,’’ Marceline gritted out. Adams nodded, and Marceline stiffly stood up and walked to the door.

‘’Just one more thing, Marceline.’’

Marceline turned to the teacher, her hand tight on the door handle.

‘’I’d also advise to not converse with Miss Bubblegum at this time. She’s preparing for student body president elections,’’ Mrs Adams said, smiling.

Marceline nodded and quickly left the room. As soon as she got out into the halls, she yelled and grabbed a water fountain, about to rip it out of the wall. She hated this school so much, for it’s nerve to threaten her from talking to Bonnie, to threaten kicking her out, limiting any contact with her. And the fucking nerve to throw her father in her face. 

She gripped the fountain, about to bust it up, then in an afterthought, she glanced over to the door of Mrs Adams office. Suddenly feeling guilty, she loosened her grip, thinking about Bonnie. 

‘’Uggrahh!’’ Marceline shouted, punching the metal fountain before walking away.

Marceline met up with Bonnie in their next shared class, English. Marceline felt horrible when Bonnie beamed at her when she walked into the classroom, though it was very cute. She hated that she’d have to limit her contact from now on. She was thinking she’d have to sit somewhere else, but Bonnie smiled at her and patted a seat she saved next to her, and how could Marceline refuse that. She subtly slipped in beside her, trying not to drag any more attention onto them, though she could feel eyes on them. It made sense. Bonnie was popular, the school’s prize. Marceline was a ruffian threatening to ruin that, apparently. She remembered Bonnie’s friends faces the other day when Bonnie sat with her in chemistry. Marceline wondered where they were right now, probably stewing in silence somewhere else.

‘’Hey, how did it go?’’ Bonnie whispered while they wrote down notes the teacher gave them. Marceline didn’t look up, ever aware of the teacher’s watching them like hawks.

‘’I’ve gotta attend homework club for three weeks,’’ Marceline left out the threatened expulsion, for Bonnie’s sake. She would freak out.

‘’Oh wow, lucky you,’’ Bonnie said, Marceline glanced at her to refute her sarcasm, but she was actually smiling like it was a reward.

‘’You are such a nerd,’’ Marceline muttered, looking down again.

‘’Yeah well, this nerd just happens to tutor homework club, so guess who just earned extra time studying with me,’’ Bonnie said.

‘’That’s actually another thing. I think we’ll need to limit our time together in the day. The teacher was suspicious of us, she warned me to back off from distracting you from work,’’ Marceline said.

‘’What?!’’ Bonnie exclaimed kind of loudly. They looked up to find the teacher glaring at them, and ducked back down to their work. Bonnie whispered angrily once a few seconds passed.

‘’Why are they concerned you’re some kind of horrible influence on me? Why do they even care?’’ Bonnie asked.

‘’Bonnie-seriously. You’re the school’s prized possession, their little trophy they like to polish until you’re squeaky clean. I’m a dirty rag in this scenario, trying to clean you but just making you dirtier, I’m not helping your case, according to them,’’ Marceline said. Bonnie huffed.

‘’That’s bull gunk, you’re a trophy of your own. I’ve heard you sing, Marci, okay? you can’t lie to me,’’ Bonnie said. Marceline shrugged, not wanting to get into it right now, with their literacy teacher eyeballing Marceline like she was persuading Bonnie to join a gang.

‘’Whatever. We just can’t hang out like this. I’m seriously on a tightrope right now. Next class, I’m going find my own seat, you can go back to your candy cane friends,’’ Marceline said.

‘’No! I hate those girls, I wanna sit with you. I’m not letting you sit on your own,’’ Bonnie said.

‘’I’ll be fine- as long as I know you’re flourishing in class again, the teachers loving you. That’s all I need.’’

‘’But I flourish with you by my side,’’ Bonnie said softly. Marceline couldn’t resist, so she just held Bonnie’s hand under the table, squeezing gently.

‘’It’ll be okay,’’ Marceline whispered, praying it was true.

Although they couldn’t exactly hang out like they wished to, they did well to find pockets in the day where they could talk for a few seconds, be close for a minute, sometimes make out in supply closets. Other than that, they didn’t speak or see much of each other until night time, after everyone had fallen asleep, and Bonnie snuck into Marceline’s room.

For the first few weeks, regardless of the restrictions during the day, everything was such a lovey-doves blur of happy bliss that Marceline was certain nothing bad could ever happen to them, and they’d be together forever now. Bonnie snuck into Marceline’s dorm room nearly every night, and sometimes they talked, mostly they fucked, and always they spent the night with each other, cuddled into a blissful sleep that they struggled to wake from in the morning, even Bonnie had stopped complaining, because it was just as hard for her to leave the comforting warmth in the bed they’d made so many happy memories, and Marceline had learnt to love parts of Bonnie that slowly opened up to her once they found a regular rhythm of what they liked. Marceline loved licking anywhere on Bonnie’s body, mostly because she was so hot and it would make her flustered and wet, and also because her whole body was like a lollipop, one big pink, sweet lollipop. Bonnie loved being fingered, rough and jarring, compared to Marceline’s preferred slow and wibbly pace that Bonnie perfected on her, making her sweat and moan like a mental patient, but in a good way.

A full month of this pattern of sneaking around, tiptoeing to each other’s rooms after dark across the halls, the thrill of being caught ever-present in their minds, any loud noise that could be discovered by the other girls. Marceline actually had to use a gag for Bonnie, because she was way too shameless and loud in the middle of the night, enough to be heard by the surrounding dorms. It made their devious acts even hotter, because they needed each other so bad during the day, those sly looks and brushes of hands as they passed each other, that they required cloths stuffed in their mouths to stop their crazed moaning and crying out.

The only thing Marceline didn’t like about this was having to ignore Bonnie during the day, having to sit far away at all times and pretend that they were mere acquaintances, not girlfriends that gave each other squirting orgasms every single night. She hated that Bonnie went back to sitting with her horrible, judgemental friends, though she wanted that, for them to appear uninvolved at all. She needed it to stay like this, because if she broke the deal with the teachers, she would be shipped out of here, probably never to see Bonnie again. They lived halfway across the country from each other, so visiting outside of school would be very hard, if impossible at the moment. At least until the end of term, she needed to last that long, be good and studious, to stop looking at Bonnie, and try to look away when Bonnie stared at her.

They were lying in Marceline bed one night, Bonnie tucked into Marceline’s chest, both recovering post-sex. They were naked, Marceline curling her finger around Bonnie’s hair, snagging a piece off and popping it into her mouth, chewing the gum. Bonnie tracing her hand along Marceline’s thigh.

‘’Do you think I have a chance winning Student body president?’’ Bonnie asked. Marceline laughed.

‘’Bon- are you kidding me? You’re the only person running, no girl dares impose the title of Princess Bubblegum. Of course you’ll win,’’ Marceline said.

‘’That’s not true, there’s a real competition sometimes, people want change a lot, they like to give newbies a shot. There’s quite a few girls this year who have what it takes, I don’t think I’ll get it this time,’’ Bonnie said. Marceline snorted.

‘’I’m telling you girl, you’ve got this in the bag,’’ Marceline assured her.

‘’I really need to focus on this, it’ll do wonders for my college credit. I just gotta buckle down and work, no more late nights like this. I’ll lose vital sleep,’’ Bonnie said.

‘’Well what am I supposed to do? Wait around here on the off night you’ve got time for me?’’ Marceline asked, pinching Bonnie’s side. She’d considered this before, but actually doing it was another thing. It would be hard, to say the least.

‘’If I can just win this election, then we’ll be able to do this whenever we want,’’ Bonnie said. Marceline scoffed.

‘’As if, we can’t spend any time together anyway,’’ Marceline said.

‘’Just wait for the election, it’s only a few weeks,’’ Bonnie said. Marceline huffed, already dreading this election, only being able to see Bonnie on posters around the school. This nightly thing had become the only thing they do together. She knew it was only going to get worse.

At first, she thought she could handle it, this separation, but it turned out she was so co-dependant on Bonnie, just having her close even if they couldn’t speak, but now it was as though she lived in another world. Marceline barely saw her at all, and she never had time to do anything. She’d been used to having Bonnie every night, so the shock of never having her at all was jarring. She always excused herself as ‘too busy’, studying, whatever. Marceline tried to see her when she could, but as the weeks dragged by, and the official postings for president were starting, the campaigns about to begin, Bonnie wouldn’t even humour her.

Marceline stayed on her own during the day, finding most of the girls in her classes disgusting and way too girly for her taste. It was ironic, because Bonnie was like this, pampered up in pink, but with her it was different. Marceline didn’t like thinking much about her during the day, it just made her sad. She didn’t see Bonnie much anymore, and she was always studying or planning her campaign when they happened to cross paths. Marceline ignored her during class too, she was always too busy anyway to even look up when Marceline walked in. Marceline spent her lunches with Simon in the library, which was nice, she liked hanging out with him, but it wasn’t the same. There was a very specific Bonnie shaped hole in her chest that needed to be filled, waiting eagerly for the end of the election so it could.

She went into town regularly, finding nothing in the prison school to do after class, so she constantly snuck out, flying far away into the night before she headed back, tense with the need to see Bonnie, though she didn’t anyway. Sometimes she spied on Bonnie through her dorm window as a bat, but it just made it worse, that wall separating their lives. They’d literally only had a month of being a couple before Bonnie’s election got in the way.

She still had hope, but every day of this constant strain, and she felt like she had when she first came here, like she didn’t belong in this princess fairytale, and she needed to get out of it before she ruined other people’s happy endings, Bonnie’s especially.


	7. Chapter 7

Bonnie sat with her legion of powdered up cronies at breaks, the cherished memory of eating spaghetti together alone just that, a memory. Marceline eventually just stopped coming to the cafeteria, opting for deserted corners of the gardens, somewhere she could write her music, without any distractions, or longingly watching Bonnie’s table like she might hop up and join Marceline in her solitude like she’d once been so eager on doing. Marceline longed for a return to that sweetness of their first few weeks. It would be next Tuesday the offical campaigning began, and things would get even more intense, though it’s not like Bonnie could spend any less time with her. She wondered if Bonnie had been given any advice of who she was friends with by the teachers as well. It made sense, they were all old hermits with no sense of fun.

It was only at the end of English one otherwise uneventful day when Bonnie stood at the front of Marceline’s table, everyone in the room already vacated. Marceline was so surprised to see her standing there, seeing her, acknowledging her presence, that she didn’t know what to do. Bonnie looked sheepish.

‘’Hey. I know I’ve been putting this election in front of everything right now, but I was hoping we could just hang out for a bit before campaigns start. I’m busy the rest of week,’’ Bonnie said, and Marceline was so eager to spend time with her that she ripped out of her chair and grabbed Bonnie without a word, pulling her out of the classroom and out of the building. Her blood was already pumping in anticipation of being able to be next to her, near her, momentarily allowed to love her. She’d take it.

Bonnie shouted protest in being pulled along, virtually running, and Marceline just laughed. Glob, it had been so long. She felt like her soul had been rejuvenated. She couldn’t wait, and she quickly found a little hidden corner outside in the garden and didn’t hesitate to pull Bonnie into her arms, licking past her mouth and finding her tongue, so hot and wet for her.

‘’Marci,’’ Bonnie groaned protest, but Marceline didn’t stop, and Bonnie moaned.

‘’Marci- stop. We can’t here,’’ Bonnie tried again, and Marceline groaned in frustration. She was so keyed up right now, just from being close to Bonnie. 

‘’Ugh- where then?’’ Marceline asked, holding Bonnie close. She was starting to get the sense Bonnie controlled their relationship, she had so far. Marceline had been okay with that, before, but now it was annoying. She wasn’t doing anything with that power that actually mattered, except keep Marceline in an unused box.

‘’I’d like to just talk first. We’ll be passed out if we just proceed like that,’’ Bonnie said.

‘’I need you so much,’’ Marceline growled. Bonnie smiled.

‘’I know. I’ve got the afternoon free, so we have time. Let’s go sit somewhere, hang out,’’ Bonnie said.

‘’Seriously? You used to want to get right the fuck down to it even more than me. What’s up with you?’’ Marceline said.

‘’I’ve got responsibilities right now. You kind of caught me at an off point, lucky you,’’ Bonnie said, and Marceline huffed. She let Bonnie lead her to an bench in the side gardens, mostly private and secluded, but still filled with the afternoon light.

‘’So how’ve you been?’’ Bonnie asked, and Marceline snorted. It sounded like they hadn’t spoken for years, though it kind of felt like that.

‘’Fine, lonely, bored. You?’’ Marceline answered.

‘’Just preparing for this campaign is brutal, it’s surprisingly serious for high school. Good practise though, like a real political election. I’ve got this whole team on my side organised, even the teachers are helping me out. I don’t know about the competitors though, they haven’t been announced. Kinda nervous who’ll I’ll be competing against. I won’t know until next Tuesday though, unfortunately,’’ Bonnie explained, and Marceline nodded, feeling lost.

‘’How long will the campaign be?’’ Marceline asked, guessing around 2 weeks, or something.

‘’8 weeks,’’ Bonnie said, and Marceline coughed in her throat, jerking towards Bonnie in surprise.

‘’You’ve gotta be kidding me? 8 flippin’ weeks?’’ Marceline sputtered, counting the days without Bonnie. An eternity.

‘’Well yeah, it takes time to win votes, and it gives the competitors time to plan their strategy. It’s all offical,’’ Bonnie said, frowning at Marceline’s incredulous expression.

‘’Well they wouldn’t want candidates to actually have a life, now would they?’’ Marceline said sarcastically, bitterly. This whole thing was done to torture her, she knew it. Bonnie narrowed her eyes, looking mean.

‘’Don’t get all defensive just because you’re not doing anything with your time here,’’ Bonnie said coldly. Marceline scoffed, hurt from that.

‘’What is there for me to do? Run for president?’’ Marceline asked sarcastically. The idea was just absurd, and what the heck else was there except for designing princess gowns and practising hairdressing.

‘’Ha-ha. Of course not, but you should be in the school band, or choir. Something that nurtures your talents,’’ Bonnie said. Marceline rolled her eyes. She’d been trying to get Marceline in the band since she first heard her play. The very idea of playing her bass for go-lucky musical chumps was nauseating.

‘’Well anyway. Should I expect to be allowed to even breathe in your presence for the next 8 weeks, or will I have to hide away?’’ Marceline asked, crossing her arms.

‘’Well obviously you don’t have to be so drastic, but our time will be cut down, for obvious reasons. I have responsibilities, I don’t have all this free time like you do,’’ Bonnie said. Marceline scoffed.

‘’So- what? I am just this side project for you when you have a spare two seconds. What the fuck am I even doing here if you won’t even be my girlfriend?’’ Marceline yelled, throwing her arms out at Bonnie. She was so sick of doing this, it was killing her.

‘’Hey- not everything is about you, I don’t have to spend every second in your pocket,’’ Bonnie said, her eyes getting mean. Marceline laughed derisively.

‘’Are you kidding me right now? Everything, from the start, has been about you. You’ve been so narcissistic, and I’ve been blind to that wilfully. I guess because it suited me at the start, but this is just ridiculous. You’re such a selfish brat, I can’t even look at you sometimes,’’ Marceline snarled, turning away, shaking her head to the ground. Looking at Bonnie disgusted face was hard right now too, but this was coming for way too long.

‘’Wow. You really hate me. You know I tried at first too you know, I attempted to make this work. I guess I’m just too caught up in my selfish narcissistic world too give you your two minutes of attention, so I’m sorry. I’m sorry that we rushed into this fling so quickly that you didn’t realise who I am, and that I take my studies seriously. I don’t have time for dating if my partner is so fucking needy all the time that I can’t get anything done in order to satisfy their petty needs every 5 minutes of the day,’’ Bonnie spat, glaring coldly at Marceline. Marceline was too angry and betrayed to feel heartsick yet, so she just spat on the ground at Bonnie’s feet. Bonnie gasped, holding her arms out in horror.

‘’Fuck you. You think you’re so perfect, not enough to get everyone’s love. You’ve fucking lost mine,’’ Marceline said. Bonnie looked back at her, looking betrayed, then just grim. She stepped away from Marceline’s spit on the ground, and flicked her hair and held her head up.

‘’Good. What goddamn good was it doing me anyway? You’re just a self-pitying jerk. I don’t need you,’’ Bonnie said. Marceline seethed, and she felt her eyes burn. She would not cry though, she did not want Bonnie’s smug little smirk that would prove that she’s just a pitiful loser. She didn’t anticipate it would hurt so much to hear Bonnibel say that she did not need her. She obviously didn’t, Bonnie just looked at her as though this wasn’t killing her slowly like it was Marceline. Marceline hissed at her, fisting her hands. Bonnie just held her hips and looked away scoffing.

‘’If you’re done, I’ve got work to do. You should be glad really- since I’m so horrible to you. You should be glad we’re fucking done,’’ Bonnie said.

‘’Don’t fucking tell me what to do!’’ Marceline said, shouting.

‘’Don’t talk to me anymore. Don’t look at me anymore. I don’t want to fucking see your face,’’ Bonnie yelled, glaring at Marceline. The tears came without permission, and Marceline burned red in anger.

‘’I hate you,’’ Marceline said through her teeth, letting her tears run freely down her cheeks. She would not show weakness by wiping them away. Bonnibel didn’t fucking deserve it. Bonnie gave her one last angry look before she walked away.

‘’I hate you more,’’ Bonnie said, clenching her jaw, before leaving the area and turning the corner in a huff. Marceline watched her leave, sniffling angrily. She growled and stomped away, wiping her face.

She walked angrily aimlessly through the school, no clue where she was going, before she collapsed on the ground and burst into tears, curling up into herself. People passed her and snorted with derision, like Marceline was trite and insignificant, just like Bonnie thought. Marceline stayed sobbing into the ground, curling her hands into the side path and trying to scream away her heartbreak. All of this, it was Bonnie’s fault. She just couldn’t see how she messed up, blaming Marceline and her ‘screwed up’ needs. No way. It was Bonnibel’s fucking fault, and Marceline hated her for it. She couldn’t cry enough to represent how much she hated her right now. 

Just like their relationship, it all started and ended so quickly. Barely a month. Marceline fumed that it was the best month of her life, because what the hell did it matter now. It was done, their relationship was done. Everything ended, Marceline hated most of all to admit that. So she didn’t, because she would never stop hating Bonnie for this, the burning anger in her bones proved that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is shorter than previous. It gets the main point across, and the next chapters are in progression, so there won’t be a long wait


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave me alone by the Veronicas

Marceline didn’t speak to anybody for about a week. In class she slunk to the back of the room as soon as the teachers opened the classroom doors, making sure she was a shadow, but still not invisible enough to make them think she ditched. If she had anything left to want right now, it was her dad’s respect, and she wouldn’t get it if she flunked out of this dumbass school.

She ignored everyone and everything, just focused on scribbling lyrics into her notebooks in class, and practising her bass of the afternoon. She escaped into town as often as she could, but eventually stopped that too, because she couldn’t transform into a bat and fly down without feeling the loss of Bonnie’s arms around her neck as she flew. 

She unfortunately, could not avoid Bonnie. If she tried as best she could to avoid passing her or seeing her in the cafeteria or class, she eventually couldn’t avoid seeing her face plastered all over bulletin boards and walls in student president posters. They all screamed out to ‘vote for Princess Bubblegum!’ Marceline snarled every time she saw one and ripped it down if no one was watching.

Marceline was in the middle of writing a new song in her journal, her legs kicked back against the empty chair in front of her in class one day. She heard the teacher saying something, but didn’t pay attention to it and kept writing. She did notice, however, when the sweet lilted voice she’d been avoiding started speaking, and she looked up. Bonnibel was standing at the front of the class announcing something, and smiling out to the class like a suck-up. Marceline stared as she spoke out obliviously to the class.

‘’We’ll be holding the official announcements on Monday, so the students can see who the candidates for voting are. I myself, will be one of them. The last minute applicants will be able to apply for president through the sign up sheets outside the principal’s office. So anyone can try out, there’s no limitations to who can lead us,’’ Bonnie said cheerfully. Marceline rolled her eyes, because obviously no one had a fair chance of competing with Bonnibel in the race, she’d rigged the whole thing. She really wasn’t looking forward to more posters and Bonnie being campaigned to everyone for 8 weeks. It was hard enough right now.

‘’So everyone who wants to give it a shot, get out there and start campaigning!’’ Bonnie ended her speech, beaming out into the class, who clapped. Marceline laughed loudly, earning attention from everyone, turning towards her in their seats. Bonnie scowled at Marceline, which she resented deeply.

‘’Oh, I’m sorry your majesty, I didn’t mean to ruin your prestigious little speech. Maybe when you win, because let’s face it- none of you guys have a chance anyway, you’ll skewer my head and feed me to the decorating committee. If you’ve even got the balls,’’ Marceline announced, smirking at Bonnie. Bonnie glared, and Marceline matched her gaze.

‘’So anyway, we’ll-‘’ Bonnie started.

‘’Sorry to interrupt again Princess, but I just wanted to get my full two cents in before you make our ears bleed again with your speech,’’ Marceline said. She stood up from her seat and made her way to the front of he room, feeling emboldened, especially when Bonnie fumed, growling in her throat beside her when she stood at the front and faced the class. Marceline grinned and patted Bonnie’s head condescendingly. Bonnie scowled and batted her hand away, brushing her hair back to normal, as though Marceline has fucked it up at all. It was freaking gum.

‘’So, I just wanted to know who actually made the genius decision to vote this piece of gum into our student council. You gave her a chance last year, sure, but did she actually improve your lives at all- I mean really? What the hell changes is she even capable of when she’s too busy playing with dolls and eating her own hand? She’s smart? What the hell does that have to do with leadership? She’s determined? I mean who fucking cares? I’m determined to have lunch today, doesn’t mean I’m going to rule over you because of it,’’ Marceline said. She looked out into the class, some were scowling at her, which was expected, they ate out of Bonnie’s hand, but some were just staring pensively, seemingly waiting to hear more. Marceline took that as a good sign. Bonnie grabbed her arm, and Marceline jerked to face her, feeling infuriated by the touch. How dare she think she can touch her now without consequence? She didn’t rule the world. Marceline was here to prove it. Marceline ripped out of her grip angrily, and Bonnie crossed her arms.

‘’Excuse me? Why don’t you actually make an constructing contribution to the school or the cause before you start attacking people who try to help,’’ Bonnie said, sticking her lip out at Marceline. Marceline felt like slapping her.

‘’Oh trust me. I’m certainly making a contribution. More than you anyway. What have you done so far to show you care about the school? Put up glittery posters. Real inspirational, I’m sure our school feels proud to know you. Cause every time I see glitter and pink sparkles, I just feel like improving the planet, making a change. You guys get that too?’’ Marceline taunted, looking out into the class. They stayed silent. Bonnie scoffed and looked away from her.

‘’Okay I think that’s enough healthy debate for one lesson,’’ the teacher butted in, only now thinking it was good to intervene. Marceline stared at Bonnie with a hateful look before she returned to her sanctuary at the back of class. She felt rejuvenated by that, in a way that made her want to torment Bonnibel with a vengeance forever. The next eight weeks seemed like a good starting point. When she sat down, she got an idea, and smiled to herself. Bonnie was about to have the ride of her life.

Class ended, and Marceline sauntered of the classroom. On her way, someone tapped her shoulder, and Marceline was pulled back into the classroom. She found herself face to face with a red faced, fuming Bonnibel.

‘’What?’’ Marceline asked impatiently, folding her arms. Bonnibel huffed.

‘’Just what the junk do you think you’re doing?’’ Bonnibel angrily whispered, throwing her arms out. 

‘’Oh, I’m sorry, am I not allowed to speak freely? When did I check into a communist school?’’ Marceline asked.

‘’You’re trying to sabotage me on purpose!’’ Bonnie yelled, stomping the ground. Marceline laughed under her breath at that, finding her anger ridiculous in her sweet little body. Her furious eyes told otherwise though. It was a confusing combination.

‘’Huh, no, I don’t think so. Maybe you’re just not a smart as you think you are,’’ Marceline slyly suggested. Bonnie growled, fisting her hands.

‘’Just stay out of my way! I don’t need you ruining my life any further. It’s bad enough they even let you stay here!’’ Bonnibel shouted, her cheeks turning red. Marceline stared at her in shock for a few seconds. She didn’t think hearing that would affect her, but she was feeling the effects of the breakup. She’d been delaying this horrible sting in her chest, and now it was pounding, tearing her apart from the words she didn’t anticipate to hurt so much. Marceline’s eyes burned, and she seethed at Bonnibel. She felt like poison, like stabbing someone’s vulnerable emotions like a viper, anything to distract how much she fucking hated Bonnibel.

‘’You’re a vindictive little busybody who can’t understand when someone is physically repulsed by your sticky candy coating,’’ Marceline spat. 

‘’Ughh! You dillweed! How fucking dare you!’’ Bonnibel said, stalking right up into Marceline’s face, bearing her own teeth. They angrily stared at each other for a few seconds, red faced and teeth and fangs gritting. Marceline watched Bonnibel’s eyes, searching them, and unable to see anything but anger in her own infuriated state. They were both breathing heavily in each other’s faces, and it was only then that Marceline realised how close they were to each other, just angrily staring. Bonnie’s lips were right in front of her own, twitching in fury. 

They were breathing heavier than they were seething, and Bonnie was slowly falling back to her own height, looking up at Marceline. Marceline’s mouth was parted, her heart beating harder. She was hypnotised by Bonnie’s eyes, now just staring. She might have kissed Bonnie, but Bonnie’s eyes changed in a blink, hardening into something cold and guarded. Then she just looked hateful again.

‘’Just leave me alone,’’ Bonnie said softly, averting her eyes. She turned away, and walked out of the class room, leaving Marceline staring in shock behind her. Her anger returned just as quickly, and she stalked out of the room, grunting to herself in annoyance. The fact that she let herself do that. She made a promise to herself to not moon over Bonnie at all. Vengeance was acceptable, because it did. Bonnibel deserved everything coming. Especially what she had planned. Marceline left the classroom, brushing a few stray tears from her face.

Marceline headed straight to the principal’s office once she had coherence once more. A girl from the class came up to her as she was examining the bulletin board, scanning for something in particular. The girl tapped her shoulder, and Marceline turned to her.

‘’Hey, I was thinking about what you were saying in class, and I agree,’’ the girl said. She was small and slight in frame, and had short brown hair. She was one of the first people Marceline had noticed didn’t wear make-up, beside from Bonnibel. She didn’t count anymore though.

‘’Uh, thanks,’’ Marceline said, going back to the board. She grinned when he’s found the sign up sheets. She realised the brunette girl was still standing expectantly beside her, and turned back.

‘’Are you considering running against Bonnibel?’’ Brunette asked.

‘’Um, I was. It’s kind of pointless, though, really. We all know she’s got the school whipped, running for it would just give her a few weeks of sweet irritation,’’ Marceline said, smiling a little when she imagined how pissed off Bonnie would be.

‘’Well, you know. We think you’ve actually got a good chance,’’ brunette said. Marceline was confused.

‘’We?’’ Marceline asked. Brunette smiled.

‘’I’ve been talking about it with a group of girls, that are frankly sick of the princesses and their presumptuous dictatorship of this school. Oooian heights is supposed to be for everyone you know. It was only selective for grades, not elocution and shit. The princesses got into the school, decided they needed to rule, and clipped our entry exams to be extremely selective. Frankly, it was a miracle that let girls like us in to begin with,’’ Brunette said. Marceline harrumphed, annoyed by that, but getting what she meant.

‘’So what are you suggesting?’’ Marceline asked.

‘’We just wanted you to know, we will support your campaign,’’ brunette said. Marceline regarded her with surprise.

‘’How many of you are there?’’ Marceline asked.

‘’There’s more girls here than you think that don’t like princesses controlling us. You’d have a good chance of winning,’’ brunette smiled. Marceline was gaping in surprise. She wanted to run against Bonnibel to spite her, she didn’t actually want to be president. This was serious stuff, that brunette was suggesting.

‘’Are you serious?’’ Marceline asked. Brunette nodded.

‘’Jeez, well I don’t know if I want all that responsibility. I’m a ‘do something on a whim’ kind of girl,’’ Marceline said.

‘’We’d be doing the background work, don’t worry. You’d basically be the face of our cause,’’ brunette said.

‘’Huh,’’ Marceline said, glancing back at the bulletin board. Brunette smiled as Marceline pondered what she should do. A flyer caught Marceline’s eyes, and she recognised the glittery pink and a certain piece of gum’s stupid obnoxious smiling face. Seeing that, she made her decision instantly.

Marceline grinned and slapped her name on the sign up sheet for student council president, etching her name in black ink right below Princess Bubblegum’s in curvy signature. She added skulls around her name, then added ‘primp’ in front of Bonnie’s name. She grinned at brunette, who laughed with her and admired the meaning of what she’d just done. It didn’t exactly hit Marceline that she was actually doing this, it was the big time now.

‘’Well, then. I guess we’ll get started. The announcements for candidates are in two days,’’ brunette said, flipping through her notebook. Marceline nodded, wondering what she’d got herself into. Just for embarrassing Bonnibel in class. How petty was Marceline getting? She didn’t stop anyway, was excited for the announcements.

**

On the morning of assembly, the school squeezed together into the large fancy theatre room, for the compulsory student president announcements, and the official begin of the campaigns. Marceline found herself pushed to the back of the room, watching at a distance the stage where the principal stood, speaking into a microphone.

‘’So i’m sure you’re all excited to commence with the student body president campaigns, but first we must announce the candidates. First things first, we must announce the obvious, Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum,’’ the school cheered, and Bonnibel stood up, smiling and waving to the crowd around her. Marceline rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, yawning for effect. The principal smiled at Bonnibel, and let the audience calm down again, before referred back to the sign up sheet. Marceline watched with enhanced eyes as she read further down on the page, her eyes widening. So she’d been expecting PB to be the only candidate. Fat chance.

‘’Well, um, it seems there is only one other candidate running against Bonnibel this year. Miss Marceline Aberdeer, the- vampire queen,’’ The principal announced warily, scanning the audience. There were gasps and murmurs amongst the crowd, but Marceline was only looking at Bonnie. Bonnibel turned around in her seat, and Marceline stood up, holding her hands at her hips and only staring at Bonnie, ignoring everyone around her. Bonnie stared with her mouth agape in shock, and Marceline gave her a little wave, smiling evilly.

‘’Why?’’ Bonnie mouthed at her.

‘’Bring it, bitch,’’ Marceline mouthed back, sticking her forked tongue out at her. Bonnibel’s face reddened in anger, and she turned back around. Marceline gave a her a final look of victory before sitting back down.

‘’Alright, um, that’s enough. So let’s commence the campaigning ritual,’’ the principal said, rattled. The poor thing didn’t know what to do. Marceline wondered if she could change principal if she won. Because she was definitely following through with this thing. She had supporters now, who were banking on Marceline to wipe the smug face of Princess Bubblegum off the school board, which was exactly Marceline’s goal. If she could get rid of any trace of Bubblegum in this school, maybe the horrible pounding in her heart would leave her alone, and let her forget about the one thing that’s reliably destroyed her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To make it up to you for taking so goddamn long to update, I present the next chapter, longer...
> 
> Eat it up darlings...

The whole school screamed pink at the beginning of the campaigns. Plastered all over historic building around the campus, written on lampposts at the outdoor walkways, overtaking billboards in the classrooms. Marceline felt like it was a retaliation Bonnibel was giving her personally, flooding the place with her trademark colour to drown out the idea that Marceline had chosen to compete against her to begin with. It had threats lined within every poster, daring Marceline to compete with such a beloved member of school, to rise above her stardom, welcoming her to even try, and radiating smugness at any attempt she could feeble compete with. Oh Marceline dared. She dared her hard.

It was sickening, meanwhile, having to see pink all over. She felt like the school had actually been painted bubblegum pink, as though the teachers and principal were biased too. Marceline knew they were anyway, that little minx had them twisted around her finger, had them whipped. It was infuriating.

Marceline had met with her ‘campaign team’ a few times, and she’s confident that every time she sees them, she’s going to back out while she knows what’s good for her. It only takes a walk through the school, which has since been vandalised with pink posters and campaign ads everywhere, and she quickly reminds herself otherwise. She’s not doing this for herself- though there is something extremely pleasurable in taking away a stupid title from that prima donna gumball girl who thought she owned the world. Pfft. She’s doing this so PB gets her comeuppance, and learns that whole goddamn world doesn’t belong to her, and when she puts her work above other people- the people who used to care about her, there are globbing consequences dammit!

Ahem, anyways!

During the time Marceline didn’t spend internally backing out until she saw pink again, she was deliberating with her team, led by Pepper- or brunette, who what Marceline at first glance had thought of as another dollish girl with a pea brain meant for tea parties, had soon enough shown her worth to Marceline. She didn’t doubt she was smart- not bubblegum freaky smart, but clever and sensible. She seemed to have a good grasp on political campaigning in a way Marceline was always lost to. So she encouraged and agreed with Pepper on any part, lacking those skills herself to understand what the heck her team was talking about half the time. Pepper had assured her when she brought this up, that she was purely the face for change, and any political workings would be figured out and handled by the brains of her supporters behind the movement. Marceline just went along with it.

Soon enough, the school was a mix of black and pink, clashing together fiercely in both aesthetics and power, grappled by equal numbers of supporters, who differed greatly on who should run student body. She’d personally done her part to rip down Bonnibel’s posters when no one was looking, and sometimes when they were anyway. Anyone who supported Marceline knew what she was, they knew what they were rooting for, which made it even better, because they lined up with her anyway, that sick of the perfect princess regime set in place. Marceline would kick it all down with Princess Bubblegum inside it. She would relish the moment she did it, and smile when she saw the horrified, shock on bubblegum’s face, knowing she should have never messed with her. She should have never gotten involved with her. Never should have spoken to her. Never should have let Marceline kiss her, that night, and all the others afterwards. It was her downfall.

Or maybe Marceline is projecting. No- shut up.

Secretly, Marceline thought it was the dumbest thing she’d ever gotten herself into. Actually applying to be student body president. What would she even do once she got in? She doesn’t care about running a school, or whatever they glorified her actually job to be, which was probably just organising bake sales and garbage like that. But then she’d see more posters of Bonnibel, more propaganda, and she’d just go along with whatever they told her, fuelled by anger that would only quench if she got to see the look on that pink brat’s face that she had been beaten, and by Marceline no less, the pathetic freak she’d once held a foolish candle for.

Pshhh.

Bonnibel was probably just feeling low enough in her life to consider it, being the ‘perfect princess’ she thought she was. Marceline was the ick on the bottom of her shoe to her, just an inconvenience she couldn’t wipe off without going to extra trouble, which she didn’t have time for. Ughh.

Despite the slaughter of her pink themed campaign, it was surprisingly easy to remain clear of the real Bonnibel, who remained back in close quarters of her hapless candy cronies. Marceline scoffed whenever she saw them, because she’d hard things from Bonnibel about how much she secretly loathed these girls, the fake artificial tweenies that only cared about the popularity Bonnibel represented. It just goes to show how easily she turned back to the world she ‘hated’ as soon as Marceline stopped being convenient to her uses.

Marceline was either by herself and skipped the whole social exchange, or with her new campaign team, though she hadn’t really learnt all their names. She knew Pepper, the only person she’d actually known much of anything about, and the head of the campaign. They was Vanessa, an appointed head of PR, also in charge of advertising Marceline to the school. Vanessa had short purple hair and an energetic bustling personality that tended to overwhelm Marceline most days. There was Nitsa, a yellowish looking girl with white egglike hair, who was the designer of the posters, and a pretty awesome artist, Marceline had to admit. She was always quiet, but Marceline always sat next to her in meetings, mostly because she ignored the others and drew, and Marceline watched her when she got bored of the team’s political talk. Nitsa would pass a little doodle along to Marceline without as word when she sensed this, and Marceline would nod in approval at it, secretly very impressed. Sometimes her drawings got surprisingly dark, and they were Marceline’s favourites.

The problem Marceline didn’t anticipate, was that on top of all this work she had to do with her campaign, she was still expected to maintain a passing grade. While once before she skirted along with her studies under the radar, now the teachers looked at her directly, marked her work more thoroughly, remembered her failings and mistakes. She wondered if a failing grade would be bad press for her campaign, and meanwhile her teachers assigned her into afterschool study club in the library for a week directly after class.

It wasn’t the first time Marceline had been put to this ludicrous afterschool club, her grades had been up and down this whole time, so of course she’d been to the pointless club that encouraged boring seminars of studying and the right way to do it. Of course it was also easier back then, with Bonnibel being in charge before she could make fun out of it and tease her along and distract her. And that’s when she realised.

Bonnibel was in charge of study club.

It would be easy to ignore her, of course. Marceline didn’t have to speak to her, look at her, or acknowledge her existence at all. Maybe even her team would advise her to do so, and not call any attention to herself being there at all. They wouldn’t want the bad PR.

But of course this wasn’t the case. As goddamn usual.

‘’This is actually a really good opportunity,’’ Pepper said when Marceline explained her predicament, subtly conveying that she’d rather just quietly get through it without any drama. She didn’t need any more in her life. If Pepper saw this plea, she ignored it.

‘’How is this a good opportunity?’’ Marceline asked sceptically, crossing her arms. ‘’I’m basically being punished for bad grades, which no one should want from a president, and my opponent is the one doing the extra credit work to teach me after school. This screams opportunity for PB, with a dose of bad publicity for me.’’

Pepper had the nerve to smile. Marceline felt like punching her in the face, for even continuing to suggest she interact with that girl. She was unaware of her and PB’s history, and Marceline made sure to keep it that way, despite her needing that evidence that this was a bad idea at moments like this.

‘’Look, I know what you’re getting at, but this is the chance you need to dig in at a personal level,’’ Pepper explained. Marceline flinched at the word personal, wondering what she was getting at. Surely she had no idea about her and Bubblegum. ‘’It’s impossible to attack the amount of extra credit activities Princess Bubblegum achieves, she corners the market on good deeds for the school. That’s why she’s so popular. So we need to find a new angle to exploit. She’s not going to get suspended or have detention any time soon, but you going to study club could be good in that you can show the others that all this extra credit work is worth nothing if you don’t do it right.’’

Marceline was beginning to understand what she was being asked.

‘’So you think sabotaging PB’s job while I’m there, and showing others she’d not as good as she says, it’ll help our case?’’ Marceline was kind of impressed Pepper could think of something so devious and unethical to win the fight, and she was speaking Marceline’s language.

‘’No, no! You wouldn’t be sabotaging her- of course not,’’ Pepper winked, and Marceline grinned. ‘’You’d just be using your struggling situation to your advantage to show her she’s not as perfect to fix your studying issues, which in turn will only make her try harder, and therefore ignore the others who need help. So it really wouldn’t be about you at all.’’

‘’But I’d still have to interact with her,’’ Marceline said, making a face for Pepper to interpret. She raised her eyebrows.

‘’I thought you wanted to bring her down? Isn’t the personal satisfaction what you wanted?’’ Pepper asked. Marceline flushed.

‘’No! Whatever, I just don’t wanna talk to her. She’s insufferable, she’s just-‘’

‘’Okay, okay. Just do this, and you won’t have to interact with her personally until debates begin in a few weeks. We’ll handle the rest,’’ Pepper assured her. Marceline didn’t meet her eyes again, and they parted ways again, leaving Marceline to ponder speaking to Bonnibel for the first time in weeks.

She had no idea how it would go, and she was embarrassed to admit she wasn’t sure how to feel about it. Then she made herself remember everything she was angry about, and she talked back to her room, deciding she would start writing a song about it, to remind her.

She ripped another ‘vote for bubblegum!’ poster down as she walked, letting it fall to the ground, not looking back.

**

Marceline shaved half her head the morning of the day she was supposed to attend her fist study club meeting.

She like changing her hair often, and that morning, she’d realised she still had the overgrown black locks she’d had when she was still waiting for Bonnie to secretly slip into her bed every night. Those memories that she’d been cherishing, were now soured from the knowledge that they were gone forever, and that kind of joy she’d never have again.

It didn’t take much, and she was impressed in the result, giving her the punk chic look she’d been advertising to her supporters for the campaign. She realised she might have wanted to mention her plans of a wardrobe change to Pepper before she did it, just to make sure. Then she realised that this dumb campaign had actually overtaken her life, her every thought. She felt watched all day, wondering what image she was sending out to people who were judging her every move while they decided if they wanted that kind of person in charge.

And she realised she was exhausted.

She received stares all day, more than usual, but she ignored everyone, more attentive to the feelings and mild panic she felt when she remembered this afternoon, and she’d have to show her face- or more accurately her mask of a face that hid everything else of importance behind it. To make sure PB didn’t glimpse a single piece of it when she had to look her in the eyes and distract her from the others. That part wasn’t part of her concerns, weirdly, though she didn’t know how to actually distract the girl who only thought about work and school.

The time finally came when her last class came and ended. Marceline delayed for as long as possible, but with her teacher breathing down her neck and giving her looks as though they knew where she was supposed be, she couldn’t screw around anymore, and just had to suck it up and face the music.

She walked slowly to the library, entertaining the idea that she could see Simon before she got there, maybe sneak in to do so somehow. Admittedly, she’s been a bit busy lately to be able to see him, so it’s a perfectly good excuse to make study club wait. She wondered if Bonnibel had any idea if she was supposed to be coming. She hoped not, because it would be fun to see her reaction. The last time she came here, she’d spent the whole time distracting Bonnie by throwing her lewd notes when no one was watching, detailing the ways she’d ruin her later that night. Bonnie would blush so intensely when she read them, which was fun, and they would barely make it out when it ended before Marceline took her to an abandoned area behind the library and make out with her there, pressing her into the gravel of the abandoned hidden spot shielded by trees. Bonnie had been glowing with pleasure and happiness, all exposed on her face, licking Marceline like she couldn’t believe this one person could make her feel this way. Marceline felt exactly the same.

The memory just made Marceline angry now, and bitterly sad. Entering the library with this showing on obviously her face, she decided to just get it over with and go straight there. She’d catch up with Simon later.

The study club was a small area set up at the back of the library, arranged along some permanent desks set up there for tests. There were also some softer chairs and sofas lined beside these areas, likely meant for readers who don’t borrow books out of the place. Personally, Marceline’s never done either. Bonnibel has probably done both, the dork.

When Marceline approached these desks, pushed together for maximum groupness feel. Or whatever. She immediately caught sight of PB, walking around the already sitting members of the club quietly bent down, focused. Well, that wouldn’t last.

Finally, Bonnibel’s head perked up as Marceline approached, now smirking at her- unable to suppress how much she enjoys PB’s less likeable qualities shining out without her permission. Like her inability to hide how much she hated Marceline and her whole aura, and her inability to include those she does not like without seeming prejudiced. Now she understands what Pepper meant. Bonnibel won’t be able to do anything this afternoon without expressing hate and that will reflect very badly to those who need her help. Marceline is preening with premature victory, watching as Bonnibel sees her and after widening- at her presence or her hair, and then immediately gets dark, scowling and eyes sharpening.

‘’What?’’ Pb asks rudely, crossing her arms at Marceline and standing above a nervous looking girl who watches the two of them. Marceline bites back a grin, already working.

‘’Oh Bonnibel, you just can’t accept that sometimes people need help. So unfair, don’t you think?’’ Marceline says, feigning hurt at her. Bonnibel scowls even more- if that’s possible.

‘’You’ve come here to sabotage me huh? Go away Marceline, I’ve got actual work to do,’’ Bonnibel says, waving her off and walking away to another table where another girl is working. Marceline follows her.

‘’Why, that’s not nice. I’ve been told I have to come here, and you’re not even letting me in. I thought you were all about inclusion. Were we wrong then? That’s a shame,’’ Marceline said.

‘’You’ve been forced here? That’s not surprising,’’ Bonnibel scoffs. ‘’Regardless, don’t expect me to help you, I’ve got others who need actual assistance with their work.’’

‘’You’re not going to help a fellow student at a club where you help fellow students with their schoolwork? I thought you led this place, this isn’t how leaders usually act,’’ Marceline said, observing how the others in the group were now staring at them, watching Bonnibel and Marceline. PB glanced around and flushed, and glared at Marceline.

She quickly grabbed Marceline’s arm and pulled her away from the tables, near the bookshelves. Marceline allowed her to do this, only because it said to the others that she was flustered, and Marceline was only making sense. Ha, this was easier than she thought.

‘’Just what the heck do you think you’re doing!’’ Bonnibel whisper yelled at her when the others turned back to their work. Conspicuously, to Marceline’s delight.

‘’Attending study club, under the orders of my teachers,’’ Marceline answered coolly. Bonnibel seethed.

‘’You’re here to sabotage me on purpose, no matter what your teachers say,’’ Bonnibel accuses.

‘’Whatever gave you that impression?’’ Marceline asks boredly. ‘’I think you’re a little too obsessed with politics Peebs.’’

‘’Me!’’ PB sputters. ‘’You only ran for president because I was. You want some kind of revenge on me! This wouldn’t be a big deal at all if you’d just leave me be!’’

‘’Oh, I see. So it’s all about you. You think I’m doing this for you? That’s rich, you think everyone is attending your woes, and I’m only doing this to piss you off. You don’t know what I’m doing, you don’t know me. You may think you do- but you don’t! You never did. So back off and let me attend goddamn study club- that you don’t own!’’

‘’You’re not attending this- you’ve never done work here! It’s not like you’ll start now, what the heck do you want from me? Do you just enjoy seeing me suffer huh? Do you like it when I’m angry at you, do you like seeing me in constant pain like this!’’ Bonnibel whispered harshly.

‘’You know nothing about pain,’’ Marceline scoffed, heart beating faster. Bonnie laughed.

‘’Then I guess you know nothing about me either,’’ Bonnibel says coldly, shoving Marceline out of the way and stalking back to the tables, not looking back. Marceline clenched her teeth, hardening her eyes to keep in any tears that might betray her. Whatever. It’s not like she cares, PB is just a brat, who cares what she says. Not her.

Ughh.

Eventually Marceline follows back to the tables, dreading this every afternoon this week. She pointedly avoids looking at Bonnibel, who doesn’t even deign look her way. Which- that’s fine, whatever. She plonks herself down at one and ignores everything around her, taking out a notebook. She thinks of actually doing her work, just wading through this horrible thing, despite what Pepper wants her to do.

But that’s just what Bonnibel wants, so she just writes lyrics.

It’s calming for awhile, doodling around her words swirling in her head. She reads the lyrics she comes up with, noticing the anger in them. And keeps going.

Eventually, she’s lost herself in her own world, the time ticking away on another planet while she adds instrumentals to the words.

‘’What are you doing?’’

Marceline shakes out of her trance to see Bonnibel standing over her, hands on her hips, her eyebrows raised sceptically. Marceline quickly shuts her notebook, cheeks red at the idea Bonnibel might have caught her doing it. Once upon a time, Bonnie watched her write lyrics, and performed bits and pieces for her for her approval. She always gave it.

‘’Work,’’ Marceline answers tersely. Bonnibel gives her a look like she’s full of it.

‘’I can’t have my reputation undone here by one lazy student. Start working, what subjects do you need help with?’’ Bonnibel asked. Marceline stared up at her.

‘’You didn’t care before when I didn’t work,’’ Marceline accused. Bonnibel’s jaw hardens.

‘’Don’t mention that. What subjects do you need help with?’’ she repeats.

‘’Um. Math, and English. And Chemistry,’’ Marceline admits, a little testily. Everything that happens, just reminds her of before. Bonnie used to help her with her chemistry. Bonnie gives her a look like she remembers that, her expression softening. Marceline averts her eyes, getting hot under her clothes with something akin to humiliation.

‘’Alright, well. I can help you with those, if you don’t object,’’ Bonnibel offers, giving Marceline an uncertain look. Marceline shrugged, maybe a little curious how this would turn out. Maybe they’d both end up screaming out of the library. That might work in terms of PR for her campaign, against PB, but she’s kind of sick of everything being about the campaigning. She keeps it simple: She needs help with her schoolwork, Bonnibel is giving her help. That’s it, nothing else to it.

‘’Which one do you need the most help with?’’ Bonnibel asks, when she pulled as chair out, sitting across from her on the desk.

‘’Um, Chemistry, I guess,’’ Marceline says, wondering how she actually got herself into this. She feels like a brick statue, awkwardly limbed and stiff as nails, and yet she’s calm too- intrigued even.

Bonnibel smiles for a split second, then coughs in her throat and instructs Marceline to fetch out her books.

The next hour or so is very interesting, to say the least. It’s seems like the world is on pause. The campaigning, their fighting, their hatred, everything. Bonnie helps Marceline with everything she’s struggling with, and Marceline, weirdly for her, listens and pays attention, and does what Bonnibel tells her to. The afternoon is weird for them both, Marceline is confident it’s felt on both sides, the seeming momentary ceasefire. There’s a few little digs here and there, but mostly they just focus on working.

Marceline gets more freaked out about it the longer time goes on, and they continue with no outbursts or arguments. She suspects the others working around them are surprised by it too, given their now famous feud- from the candidate announcements, and ever since.

‘’Hey!’’ Bonnibel says, waving her hand in Marceline’s face when she zones out.

‘’Huh?’’ Marceline says. Bonnibel looks annoyed, but not beyond her momentary lapse in reality.

‘’You lost focus. C’mon,’’ Bonnibel says, tapping her pen to the work in front of her.

‘’Do you actually do anything other than work?’’ Marceline asks, picking up her pen again. Bonnie scoffs.

‘’Of course. I eat, sleep, breath, exist-‘’

‘’-Fuck,’’ Marceline adds, impishly. Bonnibel cuts her a look of palpable fury, her cheeks reddening.

‘’Shut up! Focus on your work. Yes I do fuck, you’d know wouldn’t you?’’ Bonnibel says, narrowing her eyes dangerously at Marceline. Marceline sticks her tongue out at her- tauntingly.

‘’I didn’t take you for anything but celibate when I first met you,’’ Marceline says, just for the hell of it. She was teasing Bonnibel now. It still hurt, but what the hell. She needs to make fun of something so she doesn’t focus on herself.

‘’Well, weren’t you wrong,’’ Bonnie says, rolling her eyes.

‘’Maybe I was. But I don’t think I am. I think you were celibate. But I turned you otherwise- didn’t I?’’

Bonnie stares at her, eyes twitching.

‘’Please- don’t do this,’’ Bonnibel says. It shocks Marceline at the tired pleading softness of her voice. Once it would have worked, but it just infuriated her, because what right had Bonnibel to beg her of anything. She broke her heart.

‘’Do what? Remind you that we fucked? Many many times? Or did you forget that in your work-obsessed state? Did you consciously not realise we were dating?’’

‘’Lower your voice!’’ Bonnie hissed, darting her eyes around, but Marceline couldn’t care less.

‘’Is that why you had no time for me? You couldn’t even understand that you can only push people so far, and you pushed me. That’s why I’m fucking fighting against you, because you pushed me too fucking far, and I’ll never forgive you for that,’’ Marceline hisses back, watching with fury as Bonnie seethes at her, her pen tightening in her grip.

‘’You caught me at a fucking terrible time, I’m so sorry for you! But some of us have lives, sorry to say. I know you were just bitter you didn’t have anything to do but wallow in your songs and fuck me when I let you! But you need to get over it now, because it’s in the past! I’m sorry I didn’t have a fixation for approval and adoration like you, and I didn’t need it constantly fulfilled’’ Bonnibel says sharply, banging her pen on the desk. People look up and over at them, and Bonnie stands up, red in the face, and just walks out, not deigning to look at Marceline again.

Marceline’s eyes were watering, her teeth clenched and she stands up, letting everyone see her face. Letting them see her red- tear stained face, her anger, her heartbreak. Fucking everything, not bothering hiding it, it would only hurt ‘Princess Bubblegum’s’ chances anyway.

Fuck Bonnibel. Marceline will kill her herself.

Or destroy her by winning this stupid goddamn campaign.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you know, I'm punishing myself for taking so long even more than you are. Bad me :(

Bonnibel was proud of herself for waiting until she got all the way back to her dorm to weep.

She was so done with the drama, and she’d hoped that an easy breakup would mean less distractions, less trouble when she needed her wits about her most. She should have known that Marceline never gave her what she wanted out of her. Of course she made a scene, of course she got petty enough to want to start a joke campaign to throw her off. That’s all it was, it wasn’t serious, it couldn’t be. Marceline had never shown interest in student body at all since she’d been here- until Bonnie expressed her passion for it. Bonnibel missed that, where something boring to Marcy turned exciting when Bonnie showed interest in it, like she herself was interesting enough to instill passion into the hobby or subject. Bonnie’s friends weren’t like that. They didn’t care about her passions, just how she’d boost them up with her profile.

Well whatever. Marceline was a rogue who left at the slightest sign of tension, just like a flighty person did. Bonnie’s friends were still here, stupid as they were, they didn’t back off when a good opportunity was in front of them to take. Bonnie didn’t care that they rode her success. Whatever, let them take it. She had no interest in their petty contests.

She just wanted to live here without fearing the shade of black and the freaking girl always floating around flaunting it. With her charismatic eyes, her wistful intelligent expressions. Her smirking pale lips, always looking plumper than they had to be. It was infuriating.

Crying in her single bedroom was the last thing she needed to deal with on top of the campaigning, and destroying the small fragment of petty aching right then and there. It had no place in the real world, where no one cared that Bonnibel held the smallest non-descript candle, begging to be put out before it started burning again, for Marceline, and everything before. She stamped it out, just like that.

Which she wished worked like she convinced herself it did.

Bubblegum’s campaign team had done really well advertising her campaign around school. Even Marceline did her a favour by making her own joke ones black and dark. Because who could look at the two opposing posters and see anything but goodness, then darkness. Of course they would choose goodness; Bonnibel, because they wanted order and fairness, not an evil campaign made purely to piss PB off. That’s all it was. She knew Marceline better than to think she actually cared other than to hurt her in any way she could.

What made all of this even worse was that now she couldn’t avoid Marceline in the flesh anymore. The evil creature decided to get herself into trouble so Bonnibel be forced to help her in study club. She did it on purpose, Bonnie knows it. She did it so Bonnibel would look bad if she refused to help her. She got that nuisance Pepper to help her think of it too. That pesky girl had been volleying against her from the start, of course when Marceline decided she would too, they would join up. They have a joke campaign, made up of rejects who can’t work together properly if they tried. Whenever Bonnie saw Marceline, there Pepper was beside her, whispering into her ear, doling out advice. Being there. And Marceline let her, like she didn’t have to blink twice about it.

Bubblegum was not jealous. She was soo not jealous.

When the school announced the open debates for student body president, Bonnibel got onto her team immediately. She was her own campaign manager, mostly because the girls in her team were incompetent for more than hanging up posters. She had Peps, and they were probably the least offensive to Bonnie’s growing intolerance to the idiots around her. She blamed Marceline, for making it harder to ignore the dillweeds at school around her. She blamed Marceline for everything going wrong.

It was torture to be in the same classes- like Chemistry, which was once their special class. The class Bonnie actually made a move and broke the ice with her when she struggled with the class. She had been feeling a lot braver back then. When they were together, it was Bonnibel’s most cherished moments of the day to be Marceline’s lab partner, laughing together. Marceline was as disinterested in science as she ever was, but Bubblegum didn’t mind. Bonnibel still saw her struggle in chemistry, subtly staring from the corner of her eye when no one was looking. She’d see Marceline growling and grumbling over something she’d do wrong, and nearly flip the whole work over in her frustration. The temptation and urge to help her was so strong at one point that she actually approached her at her table and asked if she wanted a hand. Marceline must have taken great offence to it, or she just hated Bonnibel’s guts to the point she told her to fuck off and leave her alone.

But study club. Good glob.

What was once a fun after school activity that Bonnibel marvelled at its credit for president, was now a horror show of awkwardness and tension. Marceline lingered everywhere, Bonnibel couldn’t ignore the blackness surrounding her, no matter how hard she tried. If she attempted to help another student in need with their homework- there Marceline was cutting in and dragging Bonnie’s attention to her. She knew what Marceline was playing at- it was completely obvious. She was kind of shocked, because who would stoop that low to hurt the competition?

But then again, this was Marceline. She didn’t care about anyone but herself. If she did, she wouldn’t have left Bonnie at the smallest rise of tension that would take Bonnie’s attention off her for two goddamn seconds!

It was painful. Painful to have to even look at her. She was her first real girlfriend. She’d hoped Marceline would hide in the shadows like she was good at, but her anger just kept driving her forward to spite Bubblegum and ruin her life at every interval. Bonnie had no idea what to do- how to even deal with her. Inherent anger of her own volleyed back has been her only defence so far.

On maybe the third week of putting up with Marceline in study club, Bonnibel was so fed up with her behaviour that she pulled Marceline from the group in the library, and dragged her behind one of the bookshelves to give her a piece of her mind.

Marceline seemed taken aback by the outburst, reacting slower as Bonnibel shoved her back against the shelf. It was odd. Bonnie wasn’t one prone to violence.

‘’Just what is your problem!’’ Bonnibel whisper shouted, remembering that the others would hear them. ‘’Is your goal just to be a dillweed to me this entire time huh? I’m trying to help people here!’’

‘’As if!’’ Marceline scoffed, shock dissolving back into trademark anger. ‘’Your pinkness is only doing this for election credit! I understand memos too bubblegum! You’re not fooling anybody with that goody attitude- everyone knows you’re a dictator!’’

‘’Keep your voice down!’’ Bonnie hissed, conscious of the students probably overhearing this anyway. Marceline actually hissed back.

‘’I’m not concerned about my perfect image like you thanks. I’ll do what I want! That’s what I’m representing in _my_ campaign your highness!’’

‘’Oh please, this whole thing is set up so I fail. You’ve never cared about being in charge!’’ Bonnibel claimed.

‘’And how the heck do you know huh? You’re so self-possessed that you couldn’t muster up the humility to understand I’m doing this for myself. Sorry- news flash Bonnie- my world doesn’t revolve around you anymore. Take your time- I know it’s hard to process this,’’ Marceline said spitefully. Bonnibel growled, not believing it for a second. Everything Marceline every did was retaliation for Bonnie not treating her like the entitled queen she was.

‘’You need to stop this- right now! Enough’s enough. You don’t really want to run the council- you’d hate it!’’ Bonnie cried.

‘’Show’s what you know!’’ Marceline said. ‘’You couldn’t care less about what I’m like aside from how well I can fuck you! You’re just a snobby girl with self-interest that doesn’t serve anyone but yourself! Freaking wake up Princess! We’re all sick of it! I have half the school at my defence- people sick of your rule over this place!’’

‘’You’re making that up!’’ Bonnie said, a lurch in her stomach taunting her. Marceline smiled, a threatening smirk if ever she saw one.

‘’Oh but it’s true Bonnie. You think you have the blind allegiance of everyone here? Ha! Be real for once, I have supporters here who would elect anyone if it meant getting you out. You’re nothing Bonnie- I’m gonna crush you,’’ Marceline said. She followed Bonnie backwards until she was close to her face, looking dark. ‘’I’m gonna crush you and watch those sweet little gumdrop tears crawl down your face. You’re gonna wish you never crossed me, when you finally lose’’ she paused, and met Bonnibel’s eyes, staring. Bonnie lost the defense of air in her throat, fizzling out to nothing. ‘’Then I’m gonna lick those tears up straight from your fucking face and taste my victory.’’

Her face was too close to Bonnie’s- way too close. Bonnie involuntarily looked down at her still snarling lips, chest pounding too flipping fast. She couldn’t get herself together- dammit.

Remembering that she hated Marceline, she finally pushed her away, and escaped the smothering bookshelves and the dizzying world that transcended in another realm just then. She didn’t even need to look back around to know Marceline huffily stormed off. Just like a brat would.

She was just a brat, only that. Bonnie didn’t care about this. She didn’t have time for this. She couldn’t think probably without her shaky thoughts assaulting her head. The library felt off its skew, everything was just fuzzy. All the afterschool study club students. Some of them looked at her, but she couldn’t affect a scowl at them for not minding their business- feeling this ill. Ugh, glob. This is exactly what happened last time they had to endure this torture together. It wasn’t getting any easier.

The election was only just 2 weeks in, and already Bonnie felt so queasy and just horribly _wrong_ , that she wasn’t even sure of herself anymore. Did she even want this?

She had to leave early instead of pondering that question in that forsaken library any longer. Marceline had already ditched- so why couldn’t she!

Right, she was supposed to represent the exact opposite of Marceline to highlight all those flaws. That’s what her people depended on.

Not some emo vampire girl with a dramatic edge- with what? A disrespect for authority that dummies mistake for leadership? What- a killer style that the girls liked to emulate? What- like she was cute? That she was hot? People were sick of the pink cupcake cuteness and wanted some grungey emo garbage?

Bonnie only let herself wonder this once she made it back to her dorm. Only let herself fall into deeper mental chaos once she’d shucked her shoes off and curled up around her pillow. She never slept on this pillow. She kept it away from her sweet gummy hair so it would retain the very particular scent of sharp toxic vampire. It had been weeks- though it felt like another lifetime ago, when Bonnie would remember the sight of Marceline sleeping on them.

Marceline had told her she could sleep in the air, and typically did. The fact that Bonnie only ever saw her sleeping on the bed- right and snug beside Bonnibel, only made Bonnie surer that it was for her sake. She’d been so enamoured at the time.

That’s what it was. Enamoured. She wasn’t in love. It was too soon- and too reckless and stupid to entertain. Because the reality of it all was that they just had too many differences. They clashed too much to function together. It hurt to understand and accept, but Bonnie forced herself to, because there was no getting worse than this. It could only get easier from here on out. It had to.

There wasn’t any lower it could get. Right?

**

Bonnibel skipped dinner that night. She didn’t make her appearance until early that morning, deciding to get her pent up emotions out with some exercise. Because that’s what she did when she was stressed more than sleeping could fix. Early in the morning before any of the other girls even considered getting up. Bonnie was completely alone- finally. She could consult her genius brain and let it naturally figure this out, without any distractions. No infuriating vampires lurking and making stupid comments meant to enrage her. No swaying black hair wherever she went. No- _distractions._

So Bonnibel went for a run. Realising it had been the first time she’d attempted a trek in weeks, getting out there wasn’t even to be debated by herself.

She couldn’t believe she didn’t think of it earlier once she was outside and jogging across the early morning sunrise in her special sports outfit. The fresh air, the birds singing. The sway of the big oak trees above her. Ah, much better.

It soon became evident that she wouldn’t be contemplating Marceline’s existence more than focusing on her breathing and pure physical movement as she ran. In a way it was even better, much more helpful. She was just a body. This pettiness and drama didn’t matter. Marceline was a child. Don’t humour her. Be the adult. _Ahh._

Bonnie muttered it as a mantra to herself as she jogged. _She’s a child. I’m adult. She’s a child. I’m adult._ Shoes crunching and chest pounding, heavy huffs separated the mantra, until she was just breathing the words out.

Yes, she was powerful. She was in control here. She could do what she wanted. She could right up and drop herself opposite Marceline at breakfast and solve everything! Tell her to cut it out, act like the adult. Make it known Marceline is being a child, and grow up. She’ll stop campaigning, and Bubblegum can move on with her life- finally, done with the mistake she made when she let that girl kiss her- a-and-

_Agh! Enough!_

Because Marceline never loved her. She was toying with her, just like all troublemakers did. She used her body because she was bored. Definitely. Thinking that, Bonnibel expected herself to be furious, outraged. But she was smiling, plotting, planning. Maybe.

Just maybe. She could use it yet to her advantage.

Huh.

Bonnibel came back from her run with a clear fresh mind, and a new goal she could distract herself with. She knew she had been faltering without it, without some sort of order to follow while Marceline obnoxiously loitered to mess up her brain function. She had to put her priorities first.

She felt like she was taking control back this morning, as she showered and changed into uniform at the perfect time, completely punctual as usual. It was tremendous relief, because it wasn’t a day ago that she thought she’d be a slave to these traitorous feelings for the rest of the year, maybe ever. It was crazy how much that run helped, but she should have figured out that was the best way to cleanse everything reckless and bad that had befallen her this year.

She also had the current mood to be bigger and selfless than Marceline. So first instinct to sit herself down opposite Marceline at breakfast in the cafeteria didn’t bother her. Nope, she was being better than the vampire. Marceline startled like it was the last thing she guessed would happen. Only better.

‘’Um- what-‘’

‘’Marceline I have a proposition for you,’’ Bonnibel rehearsed, sitting up straight and staring mildly at her. Marceline’s surprise quickly and expectedly turned into a frown, then a scowl.

‘’What do you want? Did your loyal candy people reject your rule too? About time,’’ Marceline scoffed out a laugh.

‘’I understand you hate me,’’ Bonnibel said. Marceline grew serious again. ‘’I’m not here to make you think otherwise. I’m proposing a truce, a ceasefire- until elections are over. That way we can focus on campaigning and not sabotaging each other.’’

‘’And why would I do that? So you can focus on beating me? Thanks, but no thanks, I’m happy making your life miserable right now,’’ Marceline smiled. She stabbed her fork into toast, and lifted it to suck the red out of the jam spread, staring at Bonnibel the whole time. Bonnie faltered and stared agape. She had not prepared for that. For that heart pound when reminded of the times Marceline would suck the red from food and give Bonnie the monotone leftovers. Bonnie’s mouth was suddenly dry.

‘’Well- um,’’ Bonnie racked her brain. ‘’I can make your life harder too. I have tactics yet.’’

Marceline laughed her typical squeaky cackle. Bonnie used to find it so cute. ‘’That’s sweet Bubblegum. You think you can compete with me? I’ve been living on dirty play this whole time- you’ve been a goody goody who doesn’t dare break the rules.’’

‘’That’s right Marceline. Because I make the flippin’ rules!’’ Bonnie shouted, slamming her hands down on the table. She was too focused on Marceline’s infuriating face to realise the crowd turning to her at the commotion. Blood drained from Bonnie’s face when she looked around and realised. She sat back down and coughed in her throat, picking up the juice box from her breakfast tray and sipping quietly in embarrassment.

‘’You’re something else Bonnibel,’’ Marceline unnecessarily commented. Bonnie avoided her eyes.

‘’Yeah, well. You suck,’’ Bonnie finished lamely.

‘’It’s in my biology Bubs,’’ Marceline grinned. She leaned in. ‘’And you might remember I’m pretty good at it.’’

The furious blush on Bonnibel’s face was nearly enough to make her slap Marceline, but instead she was just embarrassed, and hot in the lower gut. Because she _was_ good at it, and the terrible reminder just made Bonnie smash her knees together and try not to make her fluster obvious. She fidgeted slightly, and curse Marceline for having super strength observation and sight, because of course she caught it, and of course she looked back at Bonnie like- _really? You’re still wet for me, after all this time?_

Bonnie escaped her sight immediately and ducked out of the cafeteria. She scurried along the halls and held her thighs together, making a beeline for her room to change underwear. Because no way was she putting up with that wetness between her legs all day in class, unable to focus on anything but why it was there. Marceline hadn’t been thinking that- Bonnie was just hoping she was. And that wasn’t part of the plan. She couldn’t be distracted like this anymore.

After changing and taking a moment of privacy to collect herself, she made a vow. Never be alone or near Marceline again unless she wanted that to happen more. And she didn’t want it. Marceline sucked major for doing this to her.

 _Sucked-_ oh god. Don’t think about it. _Please_ , glob no.

Maybe never be alone with herself either. She self-destructed her hard work and effort with single thoughts of betrayal. She wasn’t this pathetic that single looks and innuendos could crumple her like she was a flustered shaking mess.

Marceline probably knew exactly what she was doing. Make Bonnibel feel pathetic and needy to distract her from winning.

She had a campaign meeting with her candy team this afternoon. Bonnie focused on that as she left her room red faced and ashamed. She shook herself out of it before she made her appearance again, and made sure to look strong and leader-like to anyone who walked past her.

Even though she was a white hot mess. She hadn’t taken enough time alone to calm down. She just hoped to glob she wouldn’t approach Marceline at any point again today. Who knows what she’d do.

She actually knew very well. Which was why she made a severe promise to avoid her entirely.

**Author's Note:**

> [Follow me if you choose :3](https://www.instagram.com/lozislaw/)


End file.
